Mint Trivia | 30 facts about the plant

One of the most popular plants, known for its beneficial properties as well as its excellent smell, is without any doubt the mint.

Let’s find out more about the mint!

1. Mint is also known as mentha.
2. Mentha comes from Greek míntha.
3. According to the legend, Hades’s wife Persephone turned river’s nymph Minthe into herbaceous plant after she discovered that Hades is in love with her. Since Hades couldn’t reverse the spell, he added beautiful smell to a newly created plant. That way, thanks to Hades, mint spreads magnificent odor when people walk across her.
4. It is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae (mint family).
5. The exact distinction between species is unclear.
6. It is estimated that 13 to 24 species exist.
7. Hybridization occurs naturally where some species range overlap.
8. Many hybrids and cultivars are known.
9. The genus has a subcosmopolitan distribution across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America.
10. The species that makes up the genus Mentha are widely distributed and can be found in many environments.
11. Most grow best in wet environments and moist soils.
12. Mints will grow 10–120 cm (4-48 inches) tall.
13. They can spread over an indeterminate area.
14. Due to their tendency to spread unchecked, some mints are considered invasive.
15. Mints are aromatic, almost exclusively perennial herbs.
16. They have wide-spreading underground and overground stolons and erect, square, branched stems.
17. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, from oblong to lanceolate, often downy, and with a serrated margin.
18. Leaf colors range from dark green and gray-green to purple, blue, and sometimes pale yellow.
19. The flowers are white to purple and produced in false whorls called verticillasters.
20. The corolla is two-lipped with four subequal lobes, the upper lobe usually the largest.
21. The fruit is a nutlet, containing one to four seeds.
22. When dry, mint turns very dark, but this does not affect its aroma.
23. Leaves of mint can be dark green, grayish-green or purple in color.
24. They have lanceolate shape and serrated edges. Leaves are grouped in pairs that are oppositely arranged on the stem.
25. Leaves contain compounds called pulegone and menthol which are responsible for characteristic aroma of the plant and cooling effect that mint produces
26. Fresh mint should be stored in the refrigerator.
27. Since ancient times, mint has been used to treat digestive and respiratory troubles.
28. Now, researchers are finding other health benefits, especially in women. Peppermint tea has been shown to lower testosterone levels in females with polycystic ovarian syndrome.
29. It has also been shown to prevent nipple pain and damage in breastfeeding mothers according to studies.
30. Mint is used in traditional medicine mainly for the treatment of painful stomach and chests.