Peppermint

Mentha × piperita

herb

Peppermint is a vigorous, high-menthol mint, a natural hybrid famous for its sharp, cooling flavor in teas, desserts, and candies. The lush, fragrant plants spread aggressively by underground runners and return year after year, making them best grown contained, but they reward with an abundance of leaves all season.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Cabbage family — Strong scent helps repel cabbage moths, if kept contained
• Tomatoes — Aroma may deter aphids and ants nearby
• Peas — Scent can mask the crop from some pests
• Brassica seedlings — May help deter flea beetles

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Mint rust →

  Space for airflow, avoid wetting the foliage, and remove infected stems

• Spider mites →

  Keep soil moist and rinse foliage in hot, dry spells

• Aphids →

  Hose off colonies and encourage ladybugs and lacewings

🌾 Harvest & storage

Snip sprigs anytime, with the menthol strongest just before the plant flowers, and cutting frequently keeps it producing tender new growth. Harvest in the morning for the best aroma, and dry or freeze the leaves, both of which preserve the flavor well.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Peppermint is best known for the menthol in its leaves, traditionally used to soothe digestion and headaches, and the leaf also contributes vitamin A and antioxidants in the small amounts typically consumed.