Encyclopedia - Plants for ponds
Water mint
Mentha aquatica
Water mint (Latin. Mentha aquatica) — a plant of the family Lamiaceae, a species of the genus Mentha, native to Europe, the central part of Russia, Southwest Asia and Northwest Africa.
This — a perennial herbaceous plant up to 90 cm tall. Stems are hairy, square in cross-section. Leaves are oval, 2–6 cm long and 1–4 cm wide, sometimes acquiring a reddish tint. When crushed they emit a characteristic minty scent.
It grows as a creeping plant and can be used to mask pond banks. It roots well and spreads quickly. It is better to grow it in a basket and shorten elongated stems, otherwise it can smother neighboring plants. In mid or late summer it blooms with small pale-lilac flowers gathered in miniature fluffy inflorescences that attract bees.
Location: sun-loving, but can tolerate shade. In that case the soil should be less moist.
Care: mint stands should be renewed every 3—4 years, as they do not compete well with weeds and quickly decline. Plants are fertilized in early spring and at the branching stage – at the beginning of bud formation.
Propagation: by pieces of rhizome with a renewal bud, by stolons or by cuttings at the 3–5 leaf stage. Planting is carried out in early spring (late April - early May) and in August.