Spearmint

Mentha spicata

herb

Spearmint is the common sweet mint, milder and less sharply cool than peppermint, with a clean, sweet flavor used in teas, sauces, salads, and drinks like mojitos and mint juleps. Like all mints it is a hardy perennial that spreads enthusiastically by runners and returns each spring, supplying fragrant leaves throughout the 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

❌ Keep away from

🛡️ 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 as needed all season, with the flavor strongest just before flowering, and frequent cutting keeps fresh leaves coming. Pick in the cool morning for the best aroma, and dry or freeze the leaves to preserve them, though spearmint is at its best used fresh.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Spearmint is eaten in small amounts but contributes vitamin A, antioxidants, and aromatic oils, and like other mints it has a traditional use for soothing digestion, with a gentler, sweeter flavor than peppermint.