Peppermint

Fresh or dried leaves are often used alone in peppermint tea or in combination with other herbs. Medicinally it is used to aid digestion and relieve pain from gas and bloating.

A cross between watermint and spearmint, Peppermint is indigenous to Europe and the Middle East but now widely cultivated worldwide. Cultivated selections have been bred to have a higher oil content.

The leaves and flowering tops are used in distillation to produce peppermint oil. Peppermint is used as a flavouring in desserts, sweets, beverages, chewing gum and toothpaste among other things.

Peppermint generally grows best in moist, shaded locations, and expands by underground rhizomes. For the home gardener it is often best to grow in a container to restrict rapid spreading.

Surface Sow: Requires light to germinate. Scatter seed on the surface. Press seed down into the soil.  Keep moist.