Mentha ×rotundifolia
Apple mint, Apple Mint
(c) Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Lamiaceae · Type: Perennial · Not Native
Mentha ×rotundifolia (Apple mint) is a non-native California perennial in the Lamiaceae family, recognized by Co-occurs with 11 other mint species; key features are sessile leaves and short-hairy stems.
Apple mint is a naturalized perennial found in the Central Valley, Central Coast, Transverse Ranges, and cultivated in other areas in moist places and fields at elevations below 800 meters. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces white to pink or violet flowers in small, clustered spike-like inflorescences. Growing with hairy stems 30 to 100 centimeters tall, it spreads with a robust and somewhat sprawling habit. Its ovate leaves are serrated with tapered or slightly lobed bases, measuring 2.6 to 8 centimeters long and featuring a short or nearly absent petiole. The plant has small flowers with calyxes 1.5 to 2.5 millimeters long, giving it a delicate appearance in moist habitats.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Co-occurs with 11 other mint species; key features are sessile leaves and short-hairy stems
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist places, fields
Elevation: < 800 m
Outside California: to Canada, eastern United States, native to Europe, naturalized from cultivation
Bloom period
Mentha ×rotundifolia blooms Jul-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Monardella: Monardella has one pom-pom head per stem; Mentha has multiple clusters stacked at intervals up the stem.; vs Salvia: Sage has flowers in an elongated terminal spike; Mentha has clusters distributed along the stem at leaf joints.; vs Stachys: Hedge-nettle has larger flowers and lacks the classic mint smell; Mentha is aromatic with smaller flowers.; vs Melissa: Lemon balm has flowers all on one side of the stem; Mentha's clusters encircle the stem evenly.; vs Clinopodium: Clinopodium has tiny flowers (pencil-eraser size); Mentha's flowers are noticeably larger and more visible.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mentha ×rotundifolia native to California?
No. Mentha ×rotundifolia is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Mentha ×rotundifolia bloom?
Mentha ×rotundifolia blooms Jul-Oct.
What plant family does Mentha ×rotundifolia belong to?
Mentha ×rotundifolia is in the Lamiaceae family, genus Mentha.
What habitat does Mentha ×rotundifolia grow in?
Mentha ×rotundifolia grows in Moist places, fields.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.