Whorled Mountain Mint

(Pycnanthemum verticillatum)

Whorled Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum verticillatum)

Identification: Flowers white spotted with pink or violet. Petals fused into a tube for their lower half, but free and hardly modified in their upper halves. Top two petals fused into a single lobe, other petal lobes splayed with a ragged appearance. Calyx with regular teeth. Flowers arranged in tightly packed clusters, flowers appearing sporadically in the head. Stem square, covered with short hairs. Leaves very narrow, elongate, with short hairs and smooth outer margins. Plant 1.5 to 2.5 feet in height.

Distribution: Throughout eastern North America.

Habitat: Whorled Mountain Mint is found in dry fields and thickets.

Flowering period: July to September.

Whorled Mountain Mint
(Pycnanthemum verticillatum)

Similar Species:

The distinctive mountain mint flowers and the narrow, elongate leaves will separate this species from other mints in most cases.

Narrow-leaved Mountain Mint
(Pycnanthumum tenuifolium)