Mentha sp.
Mint, Mint
(c) Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Lamiaceae · Type: Perennial · Variable; species dependent
Mentha sp. (Mint) is a non-native California perennial in the Lamiaceae family.
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 sp. native to California?
No. Mentha sp. is not native to California (recorded as variable; species dependent).
What plant family does Mentha sp. belong to?
Mentha sp. is in the Lamiaceae family, genus Mentha.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.