Mentha ×piperita

Peppermint, Peppermint

Family: Lamiaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Peppermint is a naturalized perennial found in diverse California regions including coastal areas, the Sacramento Valley, Sierra Nevada foothills, central western California, southern California, Transverse Ranges, and desert mountains at elevations below 1,700 meters in moist fields and open places. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces white to pink or violet flowers in small clustered heads at the upper stem nodes. Growing with upright stems 30 to 50 centimeters tall that are generally smooth and green, it spreads readily in moist environments. Its leaves are ovate to lance-shaped, 2.5 to 5 centimeters long with serrated edges, tapering to a pointed tip and featuring a slightly lobed base. The plant is widely cultivated and known for its distinctive mint fragrance, spreading through both seed and vegetative reproduction.

Habitat: Moist places, fields

Bloom period: Jul-Oct

Elevation: < 1700 m

Bioregions: NCo, NCoRO, NCoRI, CaRH, SNF, n SNH, GV, CW, SCo, TR, PR, MP, 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.