Red Mint

Description

Bring colour, flavour, and heritage into your garden with Red Mint, a tall, robust variety officially classified as Mentha × smithiana. This versatile mint is known by many names—Pea Mint, Raripila Mint, Rustfree Mint, Tall Mint, and sometimes simply Red Mint—reflecting its widespread use and regional popularity. Botanically, it has also appeared under synonyms such as Mentha × rubra and Mentha raripila, though smithiana is the most accurate and widely accepted name in modern taxonomy.

This mint has its roots in Central and Eastern Europe, where natural hybridisation between Mentha spicata (spearmint), Mentha aquatica (water mint), and Mentha arvensis (field mint) gave rise to a tall, flavourful plant perfectly adapted to temperate climates. It became especially valued in traditional cottage gardens and monastic herb beds, where its upright form and reliable culinary qualities made it a staple.

Red Mint is especially beloved in British and European cooking, where it’s traditionally used in minted peas—hence the name Pea Mint. It has a smooth but assertive flavour, less sharp than peppermint but more aromatic than spearmint, making it ideal for herb butters, sauces, infused vinegars, lamb dishes, and refreshing teas.

In the garden, Red Mint stands out with its reddish-tinged stems and veined green leaves, growing tall and upright to bring structure and contrast to herb beds. It’s also a superb attractant for bees and pollinators, with flower spikes rich in nectar throughout summer.

Hardy and vigorous, it thrives in moist, well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade. Like all mints, it spreads via underground runners, so planting in containers or root-restricted beds is recommended.

With its deep European heritage, culinary value, and striking appearance, Red Mint (Mentha × smithiana) is a dynamic and rewarding addition to any herb garden—a mint with flavour, form, and a story to tell.