Apple Mint, Mentha suaveolens, is a soft-textured mint valued for its gentle, fruity flavor blending mint with a sweet apple note. Native to southern and western Europe, it is a robust spreading perennial reaching 1 to 3 feet tall with rounded, woolly, pale green leaves covered in fine hairs that give it a fuzzy appearance and the alternate name woolly mint. The mild flavor and softer menthol make it excellent for teas, fruit salads, jellies, and garnishes, and it is the traditional mint for some English mint sauces. It produces spikes of white to pale pink flowers loved by bees. Hardy in USDA zones 5 to 11, apple mint tolerates drier and poorer soils better than many mints. It spreads by runners and is propagated by division or cuttings.
Flavor Profile
Mild, sweet, and fruity with a distinct apple note and gentle menthol, lovely in teas and fruit dishes.
Visual Characteristics
Rounded, woolly, pale green leaves with a soft fuzzy surface and spikes of white to pale pink flowers.
Growing Tips
Tolerates drier and poorer soil than most mints; propagate by division and contain its spreading runners.
Where to Buy
Sourcing information coming soon. Check local nurseries and seed banks for availability.