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Mint plants are popular additions to herb and ornamental gardens thanks to their fragrant foliage and pretty flowers. While purple blooms are the most common, did you know there are many mint varieties that produce white flowers? Adding white-blooming mints to your garden can provide beautiful visual contrast and a refreshing scent. In this article, we will explore some of the top white mint plants along with tips for growing and using them.
Why Grow White-Flowering Mints
Here are some of the benefits of planting mint varieties with white flowers:
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Provide a nice contrast to brightly colored flowers with their subtle white blooms. White mint flowers beautifully glow at dusk when other colors fade.
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Attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds that are drawn to the nectar-rich blooms.
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Release pleasant minty aromas when their leaves are brushed or crushed, filling outdoor spaces with fragrance.
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Useful as cut flowers container plants edging, groundcovers and more thanks to their ornamental qualities.
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Deer and rabbit resistant due to their strong minty scent, making them ideal for gardens plagued by these pests
Most Popular White-Flowering Mint Plants
Many different mint species and cultivars produce white flowers, Below are some of the most common types
Spearmint
With its classic spear-shaped, toothed leaves and tall spikes of pure white flowers in early summer, spearmint (Mentha spicata) is likely the most famous white-blooming mint. It grows 2-3 feet tall and spreads vigorously.
Peppermint
Closely related to spearmint, peppermint (Mentha x piperita) has bolder dark green leaves and taller flower spikes that emerge white in mid-summer. Peppermint can reach 3 feet in height at maturity.
Whiteleaf Mountain Mint
Whiteleaf mountain mint (Pycnanthemum albescens) is a North American native wildflower with softly fuzzy leaves and a white bloom. Clusters of tiny white flowers with purple dots arise in summer surrounded by showy silver bracts.
Woolly Mint
Known for its velvety gray-green foliage, woolly mint (Stachys byzantina) produces dense spikes of white flowers in early summer. It stays short at just 6-12 inches, making it ideal for containers and borders.
White-Edged Thyme
With its showy gold and green variegated leaves edged in white, thyme ‘Aureus’ blooms with pretty white flower clusters in early summer. It forms a short mat only 2-4 inches tall.
Growing Conditions for White-Flowering Mints
Most white mints grow best when provided with:
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Sun: At least 6 hours of direct sun daily, with some afternoon shade tolerated. Morning sun is ideal.
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Soil: Rich, moist, well-draining soil amended with compost. Avoid soggy or bone-dry soil.
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pH: Neutral to alkaline from 6.0-7.5. Acidic soils below 6.0 can cause issues.
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Water: Moderate watering about 1 inch per week without oversaturating the soil.
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Zones: Depending on variety, can thrive in zones 3-10. Offer some protection from intense summer heat.
When planting white blooming mints, be sure to give them adequate room to spread. Space plants 12-24 inches apart depending on their expected mature size.
Caring for White-Flowering Mints
Follow these tips to keep your white mints looking their best:
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Start plants from seed or purchase young starter plants. Transplant after all danger of frost when soil warms.
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Pinch back flower stems during the first year to promote bushy, compact growth.
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Deadhead spent blooms after flowering to encourage reblooming.
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Prune mint plants in fall to remove dead growth and shape them before winter if desired.
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Apply mulch around plants to retain moisture and prevent weeds. Replenish mulch annually.
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Provide consistent water when the top few inches of soil become dry. Avoid both under and overwatering.
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Feed container mints monthly with a balanced liquid fertilizer during spring and summer.
Using White Mint Flowers
The pretty blooms of white mint plants can be used in many different ways:
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Display in fresh flower arrangements and dried flower crafts
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Float individual blooms or small sprigs in drinks like lemonade, iced tea, and cocktails
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Use the flowers as edible garnishes on desserts like ice cream, cupcakes, fruit salads, and more
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Make fragrant floral ice cubes by freezing mint flowers in ice cube trays
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Blend into potpourri, sachets, and bath/beauty products
With their beautiful white blooms and intoxicating fragrances, mint plants are a must-have for gardens. Follow the growing tips above to successfully cultivate white-flowering mint varieties. Then get creative using the flowers to add visual and aromatic appeal to food, drinks, floral crafts, and more!
What’s the Next Step?
Picked out your plants? View our Resource Guide of garden centers, seed sources, landscapers, education resources, and more!
Where Should I Start?
Check out the Grow Native! Committee’s Top Ten picks of native plants for a particular purpose.
18 Rare Mint varieties with names||Pudina varieties || Pinkish paradise.
FAQ
Which mint plant has white flowers?
spearmint, garden mint or common mint. Aromatic bright green leaves and dense spikes of pink, lilac or white summer flowers. Spearmint is perfect for growing in a terracotta container in full sun.
Is mint good after it flowers?
The mint plant can be harvested any time after maturity, but the best time is before it flowers. After the flowers bloom, the taste of the leaves gets more bitter. Also, as with most other herbs, harvest in the morning for the best concentration and flavor.
Is pycnanthemum muticum aggressive?
Some people may shy away from P. muticum given the reputation of mints as aggressive spreaders in the garden; however, unlike true mints (Mentha species), blunt mountain mint is not invasive although it will slowly spread by rhizomes.
What does it mean when mint leaves flower?
SYMBOLS AND EMBLEMS. The mint, which grows in the most humble, has been the emblem of Sobriety and Temperance; and, thanks to its aroma and many beneficial properties that of Wisdom; in the language of flowers, the Warmth and Strength of Feeling. The piperita has also evoked the Merit and Virtue.
What does a mint plant smell like?
The mint type has a scent that resembles the grapefruit with mint mixture. The green leaves have fruity flavors and can be mixed with desserts, seafood, and lamb. This upright herb can grow up to 2ft tall and produces lavender flowers.
What does a mint plant look like?
The mint plant has slender and wiry stems with many branches. The broad leaves have short stalks and small white flowers. The leaves from the herb are ideal for adding flavors to the food and inducing sweating or perspiration in the medicinal industry. Princess Mint It is a small mint plant native to the Japanese Islands of Honshu and Hokkaido.
When does a mint plant flower?
When a mint plant grows in the right conditions, it will naturally begin to flower in early summer through fall. Spearmint is the most common type of mint plant, with its flavorsome leaves being used in a variety of medicines, foods, drinks, cosmetics, and more. Spearmint plants typically produce pink or purple flowers.
How do you know if a mint is a perennial?
Mint is a perennial herb with very fragrant, toothed leaves and tiny purple, pink, or white flowers. There are many varieties of mint—all fragrant, whether shiny or fuzzy, smooth or crinkled, bright green or variegated. However, you can always tell a member of the mint family by its square stem.
Do mint plants grow flowers?
Mint leaves are used for their fresh taste and countless health benefits, including treating digestion, relieving nausea, and aiding nasal congestion. Unless you have grown mint plants before, what you might not know is that mint plants also grow flowers.
What are the best types of mints to grow in the garden?
Here are some of the best types of mints to grow in the garden. If you are looking for a culinary herb, plant mint in a pot to keep its spread under control. If you are looking for a ground cover, try one of the slower-growing varieties such as pennyroyal or Corsican mint.