All of the mountain mints have a strong mint scent and are commonly used to make tea (all except Pycnanthemum muticum, which although minty is also toxic). The mint family genus Pycnanthemum is fairly small, containing around 20 species, all of which are native to North America. For questions regarding fawns, check out our Deer Fawn page. Don’t forget to add water to your landscapes as well! Finally, keep in mind that deer are currently giving birth. I also have been busy updating our Snakes of Maryland pages to reflect recent changes in taxonomy.Īs summer ripens, check out some of our previous HabiChat articles on topics such as Xeriscaping, Minimizing Pesticide Impacts to Pollinators or Growing Your Own Seed. I am also excited to announce a new Common Snakes of Maryland Photo Guide which covers twelve of the most commonly seen snakes in the state. In addition, thanks to Rod Simmons, Natural Resource Manager and Plant Ecologist with the City of Alexandria, I have included a short article on alternatives to traditional lawn. In this issue of HabiChat, you can learn about a lovely group of perennial flowers known as mountain mints, as well as a common backyard snake – the eastern ratsnake. It seems like spring has quickly blossomed into summer! We are now in peak bloom time for many local plant species, as well as peak activity for local wildlife. Final Report to Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Identifying and Promoting Pollinator-Rewarding Herbaceous Perennial Plant Species. The flower heads are attractive when dry and can be left up through the season.Įllis, K. While mountain mints do produce a lot of seed, birds do not seem to care for them. Predatory species, like thread-waisted wasps and scoliid wasps, enjoy the nectar as adults and will feed other insects to their young. Many of the insects are small in size but are important. Mountain mints are attractive to many species of insect pollinators, from bees to wasps, flies, butterflies, skippers and beetles. Hoary mountain mint flowers from July through September.Ĭommon Buckeye on Clustered Mountain Mint by Judy Gallagher CC by 2.0 Covered with fine hairs, hoary mountain mint leaves appear powdery white. It can tolerate part sun and clay, rocky or sandy soil.
Hoary mountain mint, unlike its cousin, prefers sunny, acidic soils that are relatively dry.
It easily can be pulled up if it gets too aggressive. Like other mints, clustered mountain mint spreads through rhizomes and seeds. It has dense flower-like cymes that bloom for weeks in August and September. It prefers moist, well-drained soil, but can live in clay.
#Mountain mint full
Mountain mints are relatively deer resistant, but sometimes curious deer will take a nibble of emerging foliage.Ĭlustered mountain mint grows best in full sun, but it can tolerate part shade too. When the leaves are crushed, they have a spearmint scent. Both species have ovate, toothed leaves with clusters of white flowers at the nodes. Two species often found in cultivation include clustered mountain mint ( Pycnanthemum muticum) and hoary mountain mint ( Pycnanthemum incanum ). Most mountain mints average 1-3 feet in height and have a 1-2 foot spread. As you may have guessed, mountain mints are in the mint family (Lamiaceae) and sport square stems with opposite, aromatic leaves. There are eight species of mountain mint in Maryland, one of which (basil mountain mint) is historical, while three others (Torrey’s, whorled and Virginia) are rare to uncommon. I had to try it out for myself, and it hasn’t disappointed. Out of the 86 native plant species and cultivars tested, clustered mountain mint ( Pycnanthemum muticum ) ranked number one for the diversity of pollinators that visited. ) several years ago, as a Penn State Extension study found it to be one of the top pollinator plants in their common gardens. I first learned about mountain mint ( Pycnanthemum spp. Clustered Mountain Mint by Doug McGrady CC by 2.0
0 kommentar(er)
