Dig Into Plants: Mountain Mint
Mountain Mint Other Common Names: Hoary Mountainmint Scientific Name: Pycnanthemum incanum Native to Alabama: Yes |
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Stephanie Brundage Click on image to enlarge it |
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Ecological Benefits | ||
This plant provides food for: | ||
Butterflies | Native Bees | Other Pollinators |
Other Plants Found in Alabama with Similar Ecological Benefits: |
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Whiteleaf Mountainmint (Pycnanthemum albescens) |
Short-toothed Mountainmint (Pycnanthemum muticum) |
Slender Mountainmint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium) |
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American Mountainmint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) |
Apalachian Mountainmint (Pycnanthemum flexuosum) |
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Habitat Requirements | |||
This plant prefers: | |||
Full Sun (6+ hours of sun per day) Part Sun/Shade (2-6 hours of sun per day) |
Dry Soil |
Well-drained or Acidic soil |
Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification | ||||
LEAF DESCRIPTION |
Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center - R.W. Smith
Click on image to enlarge it |
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Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF) | ||||
Shape: Ovate |
Margin: Dentate |
Arrangement: Opposite |
Form: Simple |
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Description: | ||||
Green with a silvery white appearance; 1.5 - 3 inches wide; when crushed, releases a fragrant spearmint smell; upper leaves are whitish silver; stems are square and covered with short white hairs |
FLOWER DESCRIPTION |
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Stefan Bloodsworth Click on image to enlarge it |
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Flower Shapes Chart (JPG) | |||||||
Color: White/Lavender |
Shape: Tubular |
Bloom Months: June - Aug |
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Description: | |||||||
Appear in clusters of small, 2-lipped, lobed flowers; white or lavender with small purple spots; silvery bracts (modified leaves) located below the flower | |||||||
SEED DESCRIPTION | |||
Type: Fruit - Capsule |
Description: Very small, black capsules |
Months in Seed: Sep - Oct |
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Plant spreads by: | |||
Seeds and Rhizomes/Tubers/Roots & Shoots Self-seeds easily and roots by stems; can become an aggressive grower |
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS
Quick Fact Sheet (Condensed Species Info) |
Plant ID Sign: Ready as-is PDF |
Plant ID Sign: Editable Word Doc |
QR Code (Links to this Webpage) |
INFORMATION SOURCES FOR THIS PLANT