Growing the Mountain Mints
Seeds of Virginia mountain mint are available from Prairie Moon Nursery. For those preferring to collect their own seeds, this should be done in late Fall after the first frost has arrived.
Shake the seeds from the stems into a paper bag, and hang the bag up until these are dry. Place the dried seeds in a glass or plastic container, and store them in the refrigerator until planting time.
Start seeds of mountain mint indoors or in a cold frame because these are extremely tiny and would easily be washed away by a rainstorm. Sow the seeds very thinly indoors or in a cold frame in a seed flat.
February or so is a good time to start these seeds indoors. Once they’re large enough, the seedlings are ready to transplant into individual pots. This is typically when the plants are about 6 weeks old or so.
As of May 2021, the Prairie Moon Nursery website says they’re sold out of plants. However, the mountain mints can be grown from seeds as well as cuttings and divisions.
The best time to divide mountain mints is generally during Spring or Fall. Because the fast growing plants spread rather freely, division is recommended every couple years.
Prepare the soil well by adding organic matter before planting mountain mints. Keep these plants well watered as they tend to have shallow root systems. Organic mulches are recommended.
Full sun or very light shade is best for most mountain mints as they can become leggy in full shade. These adapt to most soil types. Those plants growing in moist soils tend to be more robust. However, overly wet spots aren’t appropriate.
Prune the mountain mints back in the Spring to keep them neat looking. These plants have numerous uses in the landscape.
They’re ideal for perennial beds and borders and herb gardens. They’ve also been used for pollinator gardens, prairie restoration, wildflower meadows, mass plantings, and along walkways. These would also be suitable for native plant gardens.