Growing Corsican Mint

Mints are easy to grow, fragrant and useful in the kitchen. They're also pretty to look at if you're into lush greenery with "benefits".

Although old favorites like spearmint, peppermint and chocolate mint get everyone excited, especially around mojito time or during Kentucky Derby season, this little mint with a creme de menthe aroma and delicate appearance should be part of your collection, too.

Corsican mint (Mentha requienii) is a dynamic ground cover and ornamental mint if you can give it lots of moisture. It takes some abuse from being trod on and comes back just fine. If you have a low spot in the garden with a few neglected looking pavers surrounded by bare dirt, Corsican mint may be the solution to your problem.

What You'll Need to Grow Corsican Mint


Give this happy little mint sandy soil and dappled light. It should never be allowed to dry out. If you're keeping it in a conservatory (which works great by the way), make sure that it has good air flow from a little fan (I use hat fans). Corsican mint is a great creeper that fills in well once it finds a spot it likes. I've kept it successfully under downspouts and around faucets. It's also a nice pot companion to other herbs.

If you love mint, Corsican mint's tiny, delicate leaves, light minty aroma and bright green color will charm you. It's also a natural for your rock or oriental garden. The leaves in the photo are between an eighth and a quarter of an inch across. Did I mention it's tiny?  If you like petite plants -- maybe to display with miniatures -- try Corsican mint.

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Photo - By David Eickhoff from Pearl City, Hawaii, USA (Mentha requienii  Uploaded by Tim1357) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMentha_requienii_(5596580103).jpg

Comments

  1. Hi! That's what I want for my garden. Instead of having a lawn, I'd rather have mint as my ground cover.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Chris,

    Wow. That would be amazing!

    Sara

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous6:58:00 PM

    Is this mint edible in recipes other than creme de menthe? I love the way it looks and smell and have heard that most mints are edible, but I can't find very many resources about what foods it would taste good with.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Sara. Well, it's taking longer than I expected. I planted my mint on the ground a couple of months ago and I have to say, the takeover is more like a "creep-over". At this growth rate, I'll need about 5 years. hihihi

    Perhaps mint is not as aggressive as people make it out to be.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous3:29:00 AM

    Hi I am having trouble keeping it alive because it keeps drying out, but it's in a shady spot.It is summer.

    Bye

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You basically have to plant it next to a stream or under your hose bib for it to stay wet enough

      Delete

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