Variegated apple mint (Mentha suaveolens ‘Variegata’), also known as pineapple mint, is a strong‑growing perennial mint prized for its cream‑margined leaves, soft texture, and sweet, apple‑like fragrance. It’s visually striking, highly aromatic, and excellent for culinary, ornamental, and container use.
My personal favourite due to its beautiful pale green leaves which are edged with creamy white, giving a marbled, two‑tone look. Looks great rambling through cottage garden borders. The leaves are softly hairy, rounded to ovate leaves with a pleasant scent. Fresh, bright, slightly sweet apple‑like aroma, with scented leaves that release fragrance when crushed.
The variegation makes it brighter and more decorative than standard apple mint. Tiny mauve flowers in summer providing dense spiked multi‑flowered clusters, usually white to pale purple depending on conditions.
Highly attractive to bees and pollinators.
Growing up to 30–40 cm high with a spread of approx. 90–150 cm or more.
Very hardy throughout most of the UK, tolerates severe winters, and happy in Full sun or partial shade, but prefers moist but well‑drained soil, though adapts to many soil types except very dry ones
Best grown in deep containers if you want to restrict spread
