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Clustered Mountain Mint

from $5.00

(Pycnanthemum muticum)

A favorite of bees and butterflies.  

Clustered Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) is a big favorite here at The Wild Patch — reliable, easy and quietly spectacular. It returns each year without fail, blooming from early July through frost and while its small white to pinkish flowers are lovely, it’s the silvery foliage that truly shines, brightening woodland edges and garden borders alike. By midsummer it becomes a hub of activity, alive with bees and other pollinators – we often find bumble bees taking a nap on it. And its spearmint-scented leaves smell heavenly and can be used to make tea, but are hated by deer and rabbits. In the landscape, it’s incredibly versatile — beautiful in drifts through a mixed bed, massed to fill space or woven into a meadow where its sturdy stems support neighboring plants and its soft green tones create cohesion. Though it spreads gently by rhizomes, it stays well-behaved and is easy to manage with a simple spring cutback and it divides readily — something we take full advantage of, as it’s a native we’re always looking to plant more. 

(Note: Now accepting orders for Fall — shipping begins Sept 1 . For local customers, plants available now-Sept 30 for local pick-up. Seeds ship year-round.)

Size:

(Pycnanthemum muticum)

A favorite of bees and butterflies.  

Clustered Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) is a big favorite here at The Wild Patch — reliable, easy and quietly spectacular. It returns each year without fail, blooming from early July through frost and while its small white to pinkish flowers are lovely, it’s the silvery foliage that truly shines, brightening woodland edges and garden borders alike. By midsummer it becomes a hub of activity, alive with bees and other pollinators – we often find bumble bees taking a nap on it. And its spearmint-scented leaves smell heavenly and can be used to make tea, but are hated by deer and rabbits. In the landscape, it’s incredibly versatile — beautiful in drifts through a mixed bed, massed to fill space or woven into a meadow where its sturdy stems support neighboring plants and its soft green tones create cohesion. Though it spreads gently by rhizomes, it stays well-behaved and is easy to manage with a simple spring cutback and it divides readily — something we take full advantage of, as it’s a native we’re always looking to plant more. 

(Note: Now accepting orders for Fall — shipping begins Sept 1 . For local customers, plants available now-Sept 30 for local pick-up. Seeds ship year-round.)

PLANT FACTS:

Seed per packet: 150
Lifecycle: Perennial
Germination code: A,D
Needs cold stratification: No
Bloom time: July, August, September
Bloom color: Pinkish-white to white
Light: Full sun - partial sun
Soil moisture:  Medium-dry to medium moist
Soil texture: Sand, loam, clay
Soil pH: Slightly acidic to moderately alkaline
Height: 3’
Plant Spacing: 18-24”
USDA zones: 4-8
Deer resistance: High

WILDLIFE BENEFITED

• Attracts bees and butterflies
• Special value to bumble bees
• Special value to native bees
• Attracts parasitoid insects (that prey on pest insects)

PAIRS WELL WITH:

Clustered Mountain Mint is a wonderfully versatile plant in the garden that brings both structure and softness to a planting. It pairs beautifully with other sun-loving natives like Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Blazing Star (Liatris spicata), Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Blue Sage (Salvia azurea) and Bluestem Goldenrod (Solidago caesia). 

GOOD TO KNOW…

  • Clustered Mountain Mint is one of the easier natives to grow from seed, with consistently strong germination success. It’s slow to get started but grows quickly once it gets going. 

    Germination code: A,D
    Days to germination: 7-14 days
    Days to maturity: 85 days

    Indoors: Sow the seeds 8-10 weeks before the last frost. Sprinkle seeds on the surface and press lightly; they need light to germinate. Mist to keep soil moist but not wet, cover loosely with plastic to retain humidity until sprouts develop and provide warmth (70-75°F) for germination. Expect sprouts in 7-14 days. When sprouts develop, remove plastic and bottom water 1-2x per week. Once seedlings have true leaves, transplant outdoors after the last frost, spacing 18-24" apart. 

    Outdoors: Sow seeds in late fall or early spring by surface-sowing onto moist, well-draining soil, covering them with only a 1/8-inch layer of soil or sand. Seeds require light to germinate. Thin seedlings to 18–24 inches apart. This native plant does not need cold stratification in order to germinate.

    Note: The Wild Patch is not responsible for buyer germination success. Liability of seller is limited to the cost of the item(s).

  • Many native plant seeds won’t sprout right away — they need certain conditions, like cold, warmth, or moisture, to break dormancy (their “sleeping” state). Germination codes are short labels (like A, B, C, etc.) that tell you what a seed needs to wake up and grow. For Clustered Mountain Mint, a germination code "A" means that the seeds do not require a period of cold, moist stratification to break dormancy. “D” means the seeds are small, need light to germinate and should be surface sown.

  • It sounds harder than it is. There are two easy ways to cold stratify your seeds: 

    Method 1: Direct sow the seeds outdoors in late fall or early winter. The natural cycles of freezing and thawing will provide the necessary cold, moist stratification the seeds need and the seeds will germinate the following spring.

    Method 2: This method mimics a natural cold cycle. Just place the seeds in a plastic ziplock bag in between a damp coffee filter or with a small amount of moistened peat moss or sand. Store the bag in the refrigerator for 30+ days. Then remove and sow the seeds.