Mentha aquatica
Watermint
Family: Lamiaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native
Watermint is a naturalized perennial found in coastal and inland regions of California, including the North Coast, Klamath Ranges, Sierra Nevada Foothills, San Joaquin Valley, and desert mountains in moist places and fields at elevations below 950 meters. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces white to pink or violet flowers in dense, head-like clusters at the tips of its branches. Growing with stems 30 to 140 centimeters tall that are smooth or slightly hairy, it spreads readily in wet environments. Its leaves are generally ovate, 2 to 5 centimeters long with serrated edges and pointed tips, tapering to a base that may be slightly lobed. The plant forms dense clusters in moist habitats, making it a distinctive member of wetland plant communities.
Habitat: Moist places, fields
Bloom period: Jul-Oct
Elevation: < 950 m
Bioregions: NCo, KR, NCoRO, SNF, SnJV, CCo, SCoRO, SCo, TR, PR, W&I, DMoj, cultivated elsewhere
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.