Poliomintha incana

Frosted mint

Family: Lamiaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2A

Frosted mint is a rare (CNPS 2A) California native shrub found in the southern Mojave Desert at Cushenbury Springs in sandy soils and rocky slopes at elevations below 1,700 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces light blue to lavender flowers 8 to 10 millimeters long with distinctive purple dots on the lower lip. Growing 50 to 100 centimeters tall with a rounded or mound-like form, it develops dense, compact branches. Its leaves are narrow and elongated, measuring 5 to 18 millimeters long and 2 to 4 millimeters wide, becoming smaller and more reduced toward the stem tips. The plant is characterized by densely short-hairy calyxes and a compact, rounded growth habit that helps it survive in harsh desert environments.

Habitat: Sandy soils, rocky slopes

Bloom period: Jun-Jul

Elevation: < 1700 m

Bioregions: s DMoj (Cushenbury Springs)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.