11 Types Of Mint To Grow In Your Garden

It is easy to see why mints are so popular. While they do bloom (in summer), their value is generally not in how they look but in the functions they serve. Mints serve as flavorful herbs in the kitchen and as ground covers in the yard. Their strong scent keeps deer from eating them. But this is only one reason why they are so easy to grow. They are also tough, cold-hardy perennials (herbaceous) that spread (via rhizomes) on their own. In fact, if you plant mints in the wrong place (for example, a flower bed where you are looking for well-behaved plants), you may end up with too much of a good thing. So plant them somewhere where their ability to spread is a benefit, not a drawback. Here are 11 of the best types of mints to grow in the garden.

USDA Zones: 5 to 9Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeHeight: 12 to 24 inchesSoil Needs: Well-drained, rich, and moist

USDA Zones: 5 to 9Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeHeight: 12 to 24 inchesSoil Needs: Well-drained, rich, and moist

USDA Zones: 5 to 9Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeHeight: 12 to 24 inchesSoil Needs: Well-drained, rich, and moist

USDA Zones: 5 to 9Sun Exposure: Full to partial sunHeight: 4 to 6 inchesSoil Needs: Well-drained, rich, and moist

USDA Zones: 6 to 9Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeHeight: 0.5 to 1 inchSoil Needs: Well-drained, rich, and moist

USDA Zones: 3 to 10Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial sunHeight: 12 to 36 inchesSoil Needs: Low in fertility; tolerant of more water than most mint plants

USDA Zones: 5 to 9Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeHeight: 12 to 24 inchesSoil Needs: Well-drained, rich, and moist

USDA Zones: 5 to 9Sun Exposure: Full sun in the North, partial shade in the SouthHeight: 24 to 36 inchesSoil Needs: Well-drained, rich, and moist

USDA Zones: 4 to 10Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeHeight: 18 inchesSoil Needs: Well-drained, of average fertility, and moist

USDA Zones: 5 to 9Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeHeight: 18 to 24 inchesSoil Needs: Well-drained, rich, and moist

Margarita mint also boasts value in the garden. The flowers of Margarita mint, though small, are a nice lilac or purple. Unlike most mints, it spreads via above-ground runners (rooting where they make contact with the ground), not underground rhizomes, making the plant somewhat less invasive than most members of this species. The leaves are small, rounded, and light green (bronzey at the tips).

USDA Zones: 5 to 8Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeHeight: 6 to 12 inchesSoil Needs: Well-drained, rich, and moist