Wild mint - what kind of plant, varieties
Content:
Wild mint is a fairly common plant in mid-latitudes that has strong healing properties. The plant is loved to be eaten and is widely used in the production of medicines and cosmetic products. There is even a Russian music festival named after this shrub. It is still widely unknown where the Wild Mint takes place, but the Tula event attracts more and more attention every year.
Wild mint - what is this plant
The use of wild mint is great because of its beneficial properties. The extract from this herb is used in the production of cosmetic and medicinal products.
Wild mint is familiar to everyone
What it looks like, where it grows in nature
According to Latin, the more accurate botanical name for the shrub is Mentha arvensis. A medium-sized, non-spreading shrub with straight stems, but some varieties can still grow in width.
Usually the bushes have small elongated leaves with rounded or slightly pointed ends. Their edges are even, but there are varieties with a scalloped edging. To the touch and in structure, the plates are also different: there are types with villi that are velvet to the touch, and there are those with a smooth and glossy surface.
The flowers are located along the top of the stem and are usually small in size. Inflorescences are spherical and dense, after flowering they give seeds.
It is not always known where mint grows in nature, so many grow the plant at home on the site. In its natural environment, the wild mint plant grows in almost all deciduous forests in the world, but its true homeland is eastern and central Asia. In the 18th century, English botanists found the plant and brought it to Europe, after which they were actively engaged in breeding its varieties.
Wild mint varieties as blooms
For 2019, according to official sources, there were 25 varieties of this subspecies. Their difference between themselves is sometimes very great. The shape and size of the leaves with flowers, as well as the growing season, may vary.
Field mint
Among all types of mint, the description of field mint is familiar to everyone. This species is also called Lugovoi. The shrub is 70 centimeters high and has straight shoots with light green leaves of a small oval shape.
Unlike other varieties, its flowers are located in the axils between the leaves, along the entire length of the stem. They are light pink and star-shaped.
Field mint does not have a sharp specific smell, like Peppermint. Due to its more pleasant taste, the plant is widely used in cooking.
Because of its smell, cats have chosen this variety.
Cat mint
This species is also called catnip. A rather popular and demanded plant in various fields of production. Contains a high content of essential oils, which is why it rarely gets sick and does not suffer from pests.
It grows almost 1.5 m in height, while 2/3 of the length of erect stems is occupied by evenly and densely spaced inflorescences. They consist of small, light blue-violet buds.
It begins to bloom in June and continues until the last days of July.
Fragrant mint
The fragrant variety has a long flowering - almost 3 months, in the southern regions it can be even longer. The bush's powerful root system helps it quickly adapt to new conditions after planting in open ground or replanting.
For more accurate growth and a pleasant appearance, the crown of the plant must be trimmed regularly. Fragrant mint is widely used in cooking, and essential oils are also obtained from it.
Water mint
This perennial species is characterized by its high growth, almost 1 meter. On erect stems, small villi with square sections are located.
The soft and small leaves are oval-shaped, 5 centimeters long and 3 centimeters wide. If you squeeze them tightly between your fingers, a spicy, pleasant smell will appear. The shrub blooms in small lush inflorescences, consisting of many white-purple flowers.
Japanese mint
The variety looks very unusual compared to other varieties. At first glance, this is a bright scarlet flower with shiny pointed leaves. It can reach a height of about 50 centimeters.
The Japanese variety has a beautiful and bright flowering.
The beneficial properties of this bush are very large and varied, which is why it is used in cooking, cosmetology and pharmaceuticals.
Forest mint
The botanical description of a forest variety is, according to a common misconception, different from meadow mint. Due to the fact that the plant grows in the forest, its height is much longer, as it stretches upward towards the light. But in fact, forest mint is identical in appearance to green mint.
The bush has oblong rounded leaves. Forest mint is widely grown in agriculture, although it is freely found in meadows next to forests.
It is mainly used in cooking, for the production of spices and seasonings.
What medicinal properties do wild mint varieties have?
Although the plant has varieties with different characteristics, their strong medicinal properties have been proven many decades ago. The plant is used in the production of medicines, cosmetics, ointments.
The shrub is widely used in the production of various drugs.
Medicinal properties:
- removal of spasms and colic;
- normalization of the gastrointestinal tract;
- treatment and skin diseases;
- improvement of mental conditions;
- increasing immunity and improving the general condition of the body;
- treatment of colds;
- improving well-being with problems with the lungs (asthma, bronchitis, tuberculosis);
- elimination of toxins and excess fluid from the body;
- improving the condition and color of the skin.
Peppermint essential oil is widely used to create toning body lotions. The most famous remedy is Botanika Myata. It is widely used in beauty salons for aromatherapy.
Wild mint has long been used as a medicine and flavoring in cooking. This plant has not lost its relevance and popularity to this day, and some of its varieties have even begun to be grown for decorative purposes in the garden. The plant that used to grow only on the territory of Asia has now spread to all continents of the planet.
