Virginia Mountainmint Seeds

currently unavailable Blend of Licorice and Peppermint

From the standpoint of butterflies and bees this plant is the strongest strong attractant I know. From quite a distance you can see a cloud of butterflies and bees hovering over our planting which is located at our farm in the middle of a field of quack grass.The mint foliage is just divine and makes a dark rich tea. Kind of a light mix between licorice and peppermint.   This Illinois seed source was originally wild collected from a prairie remnant. Every year I see new pollinators on this plant includers mud dauber wasps to painted lady butterflies and large amounts of honeybees. 

Because of its stoloniferous tendencies plus being clump forming, it is a competitive plant and can be grown with even quackgrass and star thistle and it will still works it want into any type of plant community however you define that. The tea is delicious and easily harvested. 

To germinate the seeds:  Fall plant by lightly tamping the seeds in the soil surface. They will grow quickly the following spring.

To germinate in the fridge, store with just a smidgen of moisture and sand in the bag. Shake periodically and/or lightly moisten a small amount of Canadian peat moss and then store for 90 days at 33-38 F.  The cold period may not be entirely necessary but for us it was the only way to get the seeds really going. But if you do not use the cold method, just sprinkle the seeds on the surface of the soil, tamp in and water every other day.  Normally a lot of seedlings will come up anyway. Some seeds will also remain dormant in the soil for a second year and then sprout. Keep the surface moist but not flooded. Small seedlings will emerge in 7-21 days. Let them grow for 2-4 weeks before transplanting by taking them out in plugs . Direct seeding is usually the best method with this plant as the seeds are very small.