Common mint refers primarily to spearmint (Mentha spicata) — every garden should have this classic garden mint. Used in cooking, teas, and traditional UK herb gardens. It’s a vigorous, aromatic perennial with the familiar fresh, sweet mint scent and bright green, serrated leaves. It has a classic sweet, clean, mild mint flavour which is less sharp than peppermint.
Common mint forms upright, four‑ribbed stems and spreads through rhizomes, creating dense colonies. In summer, produces light purple to lilac flowers, around 2–3 mm, arranged in slender terminal spikes.
These flowers attract bees, hoverflies, and other pollinators.
A super hardy mint that grows to 0.5–1 m, spreads 1–1.5 m. Thrives in Full sun or partial shade, Moist, well‑drained or even poorly drained soil, Chalk, clay, loam, or sand.
It’s extremely adaptable and easy to grow in UK gardens.
