The Mint Family
What are they?
The Mint family is a large family of plants, found throughout much of the world. Many species have attractive flowers and are often heavily scented; a number of them are used as culinary or medicinal herbs. Most members of the family have heads of tubular flowers and four-angled stems.
Where are they found?
Plants in this family can be found in most habitats with many being weeds of disturbed ground. Others may be found in wetlands, open fields or woodland.
Identification
The combination of flower and leaf will identify most species; some groups, such as the Water Horehounds need more careful scrutiny.
Common Bugle Ajuga reptans
Introduced from Europe. There are no published records of this species for Cape May County, but it is currently known from waste ground in Cape May City. A popular garden plant which may occur anywhere on waste ground or roadsides. Flowers May to June. Flowering spikes usually tinged purple. Forms low, spreading mats.
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American Germander Teucrium canadense
Occasional along waterways and the margins of wetlands. Flowers June to August. Germanders differ from many other members of the mint family by having no upper petal to the flower.
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Bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum
(Forked Bluecurls) Favors dry, sandy soils in open woods or partially shaded banks. Flowers August to September. Flowers distinctive, with their long, curved stamens.
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Blue Skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
Uncommon in shady, wet ground in open woods, and other damp areas. Flowers June to September. Flowers carried in pairs.
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Hyssop Skullcap Scutellaria integrifolia
Common in shady, wet ground in open woods, hedgerows and field margins. Flowers June to July.
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Cat-mint Nepeta cataria
(Catnip) A European introduction, occasionally found in disturbed ground and waste places. Flowers June to August.
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Low Cat-mint Nepeta x faassenii
A garden hybrid, originally introduced from Europe. Occasionally found where garden waste is dumped or where planted and surviving in dunes and other open places. Flowers June to August or later.
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Russian Sage Perovskia atriplicifolia
Introduced from Europe as a garden plant and occasionally found as a garden throwout or relic of cultivation. Flowers July to September or later. Similar to some of the cat-mints but readily told by the deeply cut leaves.
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Ground-ivy Glechoma hederacea
(Gill-over-the-ground) A European introduction, common in shady or semi-shaded roadsides, field edges and open woodland. Sometimes in lawns and flower borders. Flowers April to June. Forms extensive low mats of vegetation which can spread rapidly and become invasive.
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Common Selfheal Prunella vulgaris
(Heal-all) Native, but also occurs as an introduction from Europe. All kinds of shady and semi-shaded, grassy places; sometimes as a garden escape in urban areas. Flowers June to October. Similar to skullcaps but flowers in tighter heads. Flowers vary from pale pinkish-white to bluish-purple.
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Henbit Dead-nettle Lamium amplexicaule
Common and widespread in disturbed ground of gardens and cultivated fields. Flowers mostly late March to May, but occasionally in other months too. Flowers protrude from a frill of leaf-like bracts.
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Red Dead-nettle Lamium purpureum
(Purple Dead-nettle) A common to abundant annual weed of lawns, cultivated fields and other disturbed areas. Introduced from Europe. Flowers mostly March to May, but occasionally in other months too.
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Motherwort Leonurus cardiaca
Introduced from Europe. Once not uncommon as an escape from cultivation, but now rare. Flowers June to July. A tall member of the mint family which may grow to three feet high. The strongly five-ribbed and five-toothed calyx tube distinguishes this from other
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Lyre-leaved Sage Salvia lyrata
Occasional in open woodland and shady field edges. Flowers May to June. Leaves are deeply lobed and usually have dark, purplish blotching.
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Wild Bergamot Monarda fistulosa
Favors partially shady, grassy edges of fields and open woodland margins. Sometimes grown in gardens so may occur as an escape from cultivation. Flowers July to September.
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Spotted Beebalm Monarda punctata
Common in open, often bare, sandy soil in old fields, roadsides and coastal dunes. Flowers July to October. A distinctive and easily-recognized species with eye-catching, pink bracts on the flowering spikes. Flowers may be dotted with brown, or unspotted, pale yellow.
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Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis
(Common Balm) Introduced from Europe as a garden ornamental and occassionally found where garden waste has been dumped or where self-seeded. Flowers July to September. Leaves distinctly saw-edged with well-defined veins. Best identified by the strong lemon smell emitted when the leaves are rubbed.
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Wild Basil Clinopodium vulgare
Occasional in hedge bottoms, roadsides, field margins and similar grassy places. Flowers June to September.
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American Dittany Cunila origanoides
A scarce plant of dry, shady woodland in the lower half of the county. Flowers August to September. Plant smells very strongly of Oregano and leaves have distinctive sunken, glandular dots on them.
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Virginia Water Horehound Lycopus virginicus
(Bugleweed) Grows in damp soil in open woodland and along shady field margins. Flowers July to October.
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Sessile-leaved Water Horehound Lycopus amplectens
Occasional in marshes and swamps. Flowers August to October. Unlike other Lycopus species, has unstalked leaves. Note that the photograph shows an unusual plant with untoothed leaves.
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Stalked Water Horehound Lycopus rubellus
An uncommon plant of marshes and swampy woodland. Flowers August to October. Leaves elongated at the base.
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Cut-leaved Water-hound Lycopus americanus
Damp ground of swamps, marshes and other boggy hollows. Flowers July to October. Lower leaves cut deeply, forming separate lobes.
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Gipsywort Lycopus europaeus
Infrequent in wetlands but can form quite extensive patches. Introduced from Europe. Flowers July to October.
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Spear Mint Mentha spicata
Introduced from Europe as a garden herb. Occasionally found on the sites of old houses and in grassy places. Flowers June to October. Leaves have a familiar spearmint smell and have marginal teeth that curve outwards.
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Round-leaved Mint Mentha suaveolens
(Apple Mint) Introduced from Europe as a garden herb. Occasionally found on the sites of old houses and other marginal corners in urban or suburban areas. Flowers June to September.
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