Mentha arvensis L.
Field mint, wild mint, corn mint
Field mint is a herbaceous perennial native to temperate parts of the northern hemisphere, including Europe and North America.
Plants: Typically 4–24″ (10–60 cm) high. As with other mint family plants, stems are square in cross-section.
Leaves: Opposite, simple, ¾–2½ ⨉ ⅜–¾″ (2–6.5 ⨉ 1–2 cm), with pointed tips and finely hairy undersides. Lower leaves are on short stalks, while upper leaves are sessile. Leaves are hairy, egg-shaped or lanceolate, and coarsely serrated. When fresh leaves are crushed, they have the odor of peppermint or sweet fruit.
Flowers: Pale purple (sometimes white or pink). They form whorls on the stem around leaf bases, looking a bit like lavendar pom poms. Each flower group is about 1″ (2.5 cm) around, containing about 20 flowers. Individual flowers are 1/16–⅛″ (3–4 mm) long, with a 5-lobed hairy calyx 1/32–1/16″ (1.5–2.5 mm) long and comprised of small triangular lobes. They have a peppermint odor. The corolla has four lobes, the uppermost of which is larger than the others. There are 4 stamens. Flowers appear in mid to late summer.
Fruits: Four oval nutlets do not split open when dried. Each contains a single seed.
Habitats: Moist habitats such as stream banks.
Edibility: Leaves are used to flavor tea or may be eaten raw, but other mint varieties are generally preferred for this.
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Similar species. |
Online References:
Mentha arvensis L. ssp. borealis (Michx.) Roy L. Taylor & MacBryde
Mentha arvensis L. var. canadensis (L.) Kuntze
Mentha arvensis L. var. glabrata (Benth.) Fernald
Mentha arvensis L. ssp. haplocalyx Briq.
Mentha arvensis L. var. lanata Piper
Mentha arvensis L. ssp. parietariifolia (Becker) Briq.
Mentha arvensis L. var. sativa auct. non Benth.
Mentha arvensis L. var. villosa (Benth.) S.R. Stewart
Mentha canadensis L.
Mentha gentilis L.
Mentha glabrior (Hook.) Rydb.
Mentha penardii (Briq.) Rydb.
8/7/2017 · Groton Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts 
8/28/2013 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts 
ID is uncertain 
8/7/2017 · Groton Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts 
8/22/2012 · Squannacook River Wildlife Area, Townsend, Massachusetts 
8/7/2017 · Groton Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts 
7/31/2012 · Bemis Rd Conservation Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts 
8/15/2021 · Bass Falls Preserve, Alna, Maine 
8/15/2021 · Bass Falls Preserve, Alna, Maine 
7/31/2012 · Bemis Rd Conservation Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts 
8/15/2021 · Bass Falls Preserve, Alna, Maine 
8/28/2013 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts ID is uncertain 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Lamiales | Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary |
| Family | Lamiaceae | Mint family |
| Genus | Mentha | From Minthe or Menthe, a water nymph in Greek mythology, who was transformed by Persephone into a mint plant in revenge for Minthe’s ongoing affair with Hades (husband of Persephone). |
| Species | arvensis | Of the fields |
Mentha arvensis description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 6 Feb 2025.
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