Mint
Mentha species
Also called Spearmint and Peppermint
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitKeep it in a pot, always. Put mint in a bed and in three years the bed is mint.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 3 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Sun to part shade
- Feed
- Every 30 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a very cold winter RHS H6, to -20°C
- Size
- 0.75 m tall · 1.25 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Europe and Asia
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsToxic to pets
Affects dogs, cats, horses. Signs: vomiting and diarrhoea if a lot is eaten.
PeopleNothing recorded against it
Safe to eat: leaves.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- Dusty bright-orange pustules on the undersides of the lower leaves, and spring shoots that come up thin, pale and twisted instead of straight.Mint rust · disease
- Round holes grazed through the upper leaves, and a metallic blue-green beetle the size of a match head sitting on the top growth in late summer.Blue mint beetle · pest