Mentha arvensis - Field Mint

Family: Mint - Lamiaceae Family

Identification
"Mentha arvensis is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in) by 1 m (3ft 3in).
It is hardy to zone (UK) 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to October, and the seeds ripen from Jul to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees.It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil." [PFAF]

"General: Perennial herb from a creeping rhizome; stems ascending or erect, 10-80 cm tall, single or branched, 4-angled, hairy, some of the hairs pointed downward on the angles; smells minty." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Leaves: Opposite, usually elliptic, vary from lanceolate to nearly circular, 2-8 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, more or less hairy, shallowly round- to sharp-toothed, tips pointed, bases tapered or rounded; short-stalked." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Flowers: Inflorescence of many-flowered, separated, axillary clusters; bracts leaf-like, the upper reduced somewhat but always longer than flowers; corollas tubular, light purple, 4-7 mm long, 4-lobed, the lobes nearly alike; calyces bell-shaped, 2-3 mm long, hairy, the teeth short, slightly longer than wide, triangular, blunt to sharp-pointed." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Fruits: Nutlets, 4 clustered together, egg-shaped." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Notes: Mentha x verticillata L. (M. arvensis x M. aquatica) has been reported from the lower Fraser Valley." [IFBC-E-flora]

Habitat / Range Wet marshes, meadows, thickets, and stream and lake margins in the lowland and montane zones; common throughout BC; circumboreal, N to AK, YT and NT, E to NF and S to DE, MO and CA; Eurasia. [IFBC-E-flora]
Arable land, heaths, damp edges of woods[5, 17]. Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, N. Asia and the Himalayas. [PFAF]

Origin Status: Native [E-flora]

USDA Flower Colour: White
USDA Blooming Period: Spring
USDA Fruit/Seed characteristics:

Colour: Brown

Present from Summer to Fall ^{[USDA-E-flora]}

Hazards

"Although no records of toxicity have been seen for this species, large quantities of some members of this genus, especially when taken in the form of the extracted essential oil, can cause abortions so some caution is advised."" [PFAF]

Edible Uses

• "Leaves - raw or cooked. A reasonably strong minty flavour with a slight bitterness, they are used as a flavouring in salads or cooked foods[5, 172, 183]. A herb tea is made from the fresh or dried leaves[21, 183]." [PFAF]
  
• The aromatic leaves, with their strong "peppermint" taste and odor, were widely used by Indigenous Peoples of Canada as a beverage and flavoring. For example, Ojibwa people used them to flavor meat in cooking, and also for tea (Smith, 1932; Gilmore, 1933). The Fisherman Lake Slave of the Northwest Territories used the leaves fresh or dry for tea, or as a flavoring for imported tea (Lamont, 1977). The Chipewyan and Woods Cree of Saskatchewan also used them to flavor tea (Marles, 1984), and the latter added them to sturgeon oil to sweeten its odor (Leighton, 1985). Blackfoot people tied the leafy stems in bunches and dried them, then used them to flavor soups, meat and pemmican, as well as for beverage and medicinal teas (Johnston, 1987; Hellson and Gadd, 1974). The Nlaka'pamux ate the warmed greens with dried fish. They and the Lillooet, Okanagan-Colville, Shuswap, Kootenay, Chilcotin and other interior groups of British Columbia also made tea from this mint, said to be especially good for colds and influenza. Some people used the leaves to flavor Labrador-tea (Ledum spp.) ... Flathead, Kootenay and other Montana groups ... sprinkled the powdered leaves on cooked meat as a flavoring, especially if the meat was fatty (Hart, 1976; Turner, 1978). ^{[Turner&Kuhnlein]}
  

Essential Oil

• "From the plant. It is used as a flavouring in sweets and beverages[183]. The leaves contain about 0.2% essential oil[218]. " [PFAF]
  

Other Uses

• Repellent
• "The plant is used as an insect repellent[18, 20, 99]. Rats and mice intensely dislike the smell of mint. The plant was therefore used in homes as a strewing herb and has also been spread in granaries to keep the rodents off the grain[244]. The leaves also repel various insects[257]. " [PFAF]
  
• Essential Oil
• "An essential oil is obtained from the plant[238]. The yield from the leaves is about 0.8%[240]. The sub-species M. arvensis piperascens produces the best oil, which can be used as a substitute for, or adulterant of, peppermint oil[238]. Yields of up to 1.6% have been obtained from this sub-species[240]. " [PFAF]
  
• Smoke
• The smoke of this species was used in the tropics to repel mosquitoes (Lee et al. 2001). It has been used to flavor cigarettes in other parts of the world (Lewis and Elvin-Lewis 2003). ^[UAPDS]
  

Medicinal Uses
"Corn mint, like many other members of this genus, is often used as a domestic herbal remedy, being valued especially for its antiseptic properties and its beneficial effect on the digestion. Like other members of the genus, it is best not used by pregnant women because large doses can cause an abortion. Another report says that this species is not very valuable medicinally[4]. " [PFAF]

• Whole Plant
• "The whole plant is anaesthetic, antiphlogistic, antispasmodic, antiseptic, aromatic, carminative, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, galactofuge, refrigerant, stimulant and stomachic[147, 172, 218]. " [PFAF]
  
• Leaves
• "A tea made from the leaves has traditionally been used in the treatment of fevers, headaches, digestive disorders and various minor ailments[222]. The leaves are a classical remedy for stomach cancer[218]. The leaves are harvested as the plant comes into flower and can be dried for later use[238]. " [PFAF]
  
• Essential Oil
• "The essential oil in the leaves is antiseptic, though it is toxic in large doses[222]. " [PFAF]

The leaves were boiled for a tea by some of the West Coast groups (French, 1965). The Saanich used them for flavouring food such as peas (Paul, 1968). According to Grover (1965), mint is good for general aches but no medicinal uses were mentioned in the Island Salish literature.[Turner&Bell]

Cultivation
"An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils and situations so long as the soil is not too dry[1, 16, 200]. This species tolerates much drier conditions than other members of the genus[238]. Prefers a slightly acid soil[16]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. A sunny position is best for production of essential oils, but it also succeeds in partial shade. Plants are hardy to at least -15°c[238]. Most mints have fairly aggressive spreading roots and, unless you have the space to let them roam, they need to be restrained by some means such as planting them in containers that are buried in the soil[K]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Polymorphic[200]. The whole plant has a very strong, almost oppressive, smell of mint[245]. The flowers are very attractive to bees and butterflies[24]. A good companion plant for growing near brassicas and tomatoes, helping to deter insect pests[20]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233]." [PFAF]

Propagation
"Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination is usually fairly quick. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer. Mentha species are very prone to hybridisation and so the seed cannot be relied on to breed true. Even without hybridisation, seedlings will not be uniform and so the content of medicinal oils etc will vary. When growing plants with a particular aroma it is best to propagate them by division[K]. Division can be easily carried out at almost any time of the year, though it is probably best done in the spring or autumn to allow the plant to establish more quickly. Virtually any part of the root is capable of growing into a new plant. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. However, for maximum increase it is possible to divide the roots up into sections no more than 3cm long and pot these up in light shade in a cold frame. They will quickly become established and can be planted out in the summer." [PFAF]

Synonyms

• Mentha arvensis subsp. borealis (Michx.) Roy L. Taylor & MacBryde
• Mentha arvensis subsp. haplocalyx Briq.
• Mentha arvensis subsp. villosa
• Mentha arvensis var. arvensis
• Mentha arvensis var. canadensis (L.) Kuntze
• Mentha arvensis var. glabrata (Benth.) Fern.
• Mentha arvensis var. lanata Piper
• Mentha arvensis var. sativa auct. non Benth. [misapplied]
• Mentha arvensis var. villosa (Benth.) S.R. Stewart
• M. austriaca.
• Mentha canadensis L.
• Mentha gentilis L.
• Mentha glabrior (Hook.) Rydb.
• Mentha penardii (Briq.) Rydb. [E-flora]

References

• [E-flora] http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Mentha%20arvensis&redblue=Both&lifeform=7 [Accessed: 12/9/2014]
• [PFAF] http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Mentha+arvensis Accessed Dec 9, 2014
  • [K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.