Gardening Ideas Fruit, Vegetable, & Herb Gardens Herbs 7 Types Of Mint To Grow In Your Garden Plant a pot of everyone’s favorite herb and watch it grow. By Patricia S York Patricia S York Patricia was the assistant food editor at Southern Living and worked with the Southern Living food team from 2006-2022. She contributed to articles about food, gardening, and pets. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on November 17, 2023 Fact checked by Khara Scheppmann Fact checked by Khara Scheppmann Khara Scheppmann has 12 years of marketing and advertising experience, including proofreading and fact-checking. She previously worked at one of the largest advertising agencies in the southwest. brand's fact checking process Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Vaivirga/Getty Images Loved for its fresh and cooling flavor, mint has long been a favorite herb both in Southern gardens and kitchens. Mints belong to the genus Mentha and have aromatic, dark green leaves and small flowers in a variety of colors. According to the University of Florida extension service, “Both the leaves and flowers can be added to many dishes including desserts, beverages, meat, salads, as well as jellies and sauces.” They can add a punch of refreshing flavor when muddled in drinks or paired with any number of culinary flavor combinations. Mints are hardy growers and will spread easily in the garden, which prompts many gardeners to plant them in containers or in windowsill herb gardens to keep them in check. Their strong scent is a deterrent for deer, and if you need a vigorously spreading groundcover, mint will do the job and perfume your garden in the process. 01 of 07 Peppermint Cavan Images/Getty Images One of the best-known of the mints, peppermint (Mentha × piperita) is a popular herb to grow because of its attractive foliage, which has dark-green rounded or elongated foliage with a strong, sharp aroma. It grows best in USDA zones 5-9 and prefers full sun or partial shade and well-draining soil. 02 of 07 Chocolate Mint annick vanderschelden photography/Getty Images Loved for its deep green foliage and chocolate-hued stems, chocolate mint (Mentha × piperita f. citrata 'Chocolate') is a popular herb for culinary applications. Its flavor has both chocolate and orange notes and is an ideal accompaniment to desserts. The plant is hardy in USDA zones 5-9 and prefers moist soil with full sun or partial shade. 03 of 07 Spearmint Vaivirga/Getty Images Called spearmint because of the spear-like shape of the foliage, this mint is a favorite because of its bright foliage and equally bright flavors, which easily accompany beverages and kitchen dishes. Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is hardy in USDA zones 3-9 and grows best in full sun or partial shade with moist, well-drained soil. 04 of 07 Kentucky Colonel Mint Wirestock/Getty Images This spearmint cultivar is loved for its large, bright green leaves and assertive, classic spearmint flavor. It’s a popular choice to use when preparing the Southern-favorite mint julep. Kentucky Colonel mint (Mentha spicata ‘Kentucky Colonel’) has showy lilac or pink flowers during the summer and is hardy in USDA zones 5-9, requiring moist, well-draining soil and full sun or partial shade. 05 of 07 Apple Mint kazue tanaka/Getty Images Notable for its leaves, which are lighter and more rounded than other types of mint, apple mint (Mentha suaveolens) is also called pineapple mint or round-leafed mint. It has a fruity taste, which makes it a favorite type for flavoring foods and drinks. It is hardy in USDA zones 5-9 and grows best with full sun or partial shade and moist, well-draining soil. 06 of 07 Wild Mint y-studio/Getty Images American wild mint (Mentha canadensis or Mentha arvensis var. canadensis) is native to North America. It prefers full sun to partial shade and moist soil, and it grows in USDA zones 4-10. Its clusters of small, bell-shaped blooms are pink, white, or purple. While its foliage is used in culinary preparations, its fruit is toxic if ingested. 07 of 07 Watermint Martin Tosh/Getty Images This pretty perennial has clusters of pale purple blooms. As you might imagine, watermint (Mentha aquatica) loves the water and grows mainly in wetlands. It is hardy in USDA zones 5-11 and, while it prefers full sun or partial shade like other mints, it can thrive amidst even more moisture than other varieties on this list. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Southern Living is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources to support the facts in our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. University of Florida, Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences. Mint. NC State Extension. Management strategies to minimize deer damage in the landscape. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, The University of Texas at Austin. Mentha arvensis.