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Peppermint
Mint Family
Lamiaceae (Labiatae)
Latin Name: Mentha piperita
Common Names: Mint
Native American Names: Chehalis: k’a´stukw, “you have taken it”; Cowlitz: cu´xacu´xa
(2)
Related Species: M. arvensis, Field Mint; M. x gracilis, Golden Apple Mint; M.
pulegium, Pennyroyal; M. requienii, Jewel Mint of Corsica; M. Spicata, Spearmint; M .
suaveolens (M. rotundifolia), Apple Mint. (1)
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Body System Affiliations: Respiratory System, Nervous System, Digestive System
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Botanical Description:
Habit: Erect perennial herb. (5)
Size: 1.5 – 3 feet tall.
Branching: Opposite.
Leaves: Strongly scented, tooth-edged, dark green to purple.
Flowers: Perfect, 4 stamens, small, purplish with 5-toothed hispid-ciliate calyx10
(3), in spikes 1 – 3 inches tall. Blooming from August to October.
Fruit: Schizocarp splitting into 4 nutlets. (7)
Underground Parts: Quickly spreading underground stems connect plants and
propagate quickly.
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Ecology:
Habitat: Cool and damp, in lower altitudes.
Range: Southern BC to Northern California on the US West Coast. (2) Also
Britain. (6)
Native Where: Europe
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Indigenous and Non-Western Use/Significance/Relationships:
Medicine:
Indigenous Group: Both Chehalis and Cowlitz (Mentha sp.) (2:45)
Part Used: Leaves
Medicinal Actions:
Indications: Cold
Body System Affiliations: Respiratory
Preparation: Tea
Other: Used as “smelling and rubbing medicine” by the Quileute. (2:45)
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Western (European-American) Uses/Relationships:
Food: Used to flavor teas, salads and cooked food, sweets, and gum.
Materials/Technology: Insect and rodent repellent.
Medicine:
Part Used: Aerial parts.
Medicinal Actions: Carminative, anti-spasmodic, aromatic, diaphoretic,
anti-emetic, nervine, analgesic, anticatarrhal, anti-microbial,
emmenagogue, rubefacient, stimulant. (4:113)
Indications: Intestinal colic, flatulent dyspepsia, travel sickness,
ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, fevers, colds, influenza, nasal catarrh,
migraine headaches associated with digestion, pain, tension, anxiety,
external itching and inflammation. (4:113)
Body System Associations: Digestive, Respiratory, Nervous
Constituents: Menthol, menthone, jasmone, tannins, bitter princple
(4:113)
Harvest: Just before the flowers open.
Storage: Dried whole leaves will only last 2 years. Once it is powdered,
will lose volatile oils much more quickly.
Preparation: Infuse fresh or dried herb with boiling water for 10
minutes. Tincture 1:5 in 50% alcohol. (5)
Applications: Drink tea as often as desired or take 1 – 2ml of tincture
three times daily.
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Essential Oil Information:
Essential Oils: Used in perfumes, oral hygiene preparations, pot-pourri. (6)
Medicinal Actions: Antiseptic, antibacterial.
Indications: Respiratory infections.
Cautions: Toxic in large doses.
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Ecological Relationships: Attracts bees and butterflies, keeps insects away from
cabbages and tomatoes. (6)
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Harvest:
Plant Part: Stems, leaves, flowers.
Season of Harvest: Late Summer.
Method of Harvest: Collect arial parts and dry in hanging bundles. (5)
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Propagation:
Technique: By seed. Only plant them where you can control them, because they
spread quickly.
Timing: Spring, in a cold frame. Divide plants in autumn. (6)
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http://www.washacadsci.org/meadowlark-gardens/ornamentals/peppermint.jpg
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References Cited:
1. Brenzel, Kathleen Norris, et al. Western Garden Book. Menlo Park, California:
Sunset Publishing Corporation, 2001.
2. Gunther, Erna. Ethnobotany of Western Washington. Seattle and London:
University of Washington Press, 1973.
3. Hitchcock, C. Leo, and Arthur Cronquist. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle and
London: University of Washington Press, 1973.
4. Hoffman, David. The Holistic Herbal. London: Element Books Limited, 1996.
5. Moore, Michael. Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West. Red Crane Books, Inc., Santa
Fe, NM: 1993.
6. Morris, Rick. Plants for a Future Database.
http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/database/latinA.html [Site visited 7-18-2003]
7. Zomlefer, Wendy B. Guide To Flowering Plant Families. Chapel Hill & London:
University of South Carolina Press, 1994.
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Erin Degenstein
Plants as Food and Medicine
Summer 2003