Mentha .information on mint plants
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Mints you can buy in the UK

If you are just thinking of buying your first mint plants, visit all of your nearest Garden Centres or Plant Nurseries. From what you have seen you can then go back and pick out several plants to try out. You should easily be able to find half a dozen different plants to try out, and this would be plenty for you to manage in your first year, as mints require more attention than many other herbs in pots. If you are not growing in pots then give them at least two years in the ground until you buy more than half a dozen different mints. If you are buying plants in mid-summer I would advice buying in 1 litre or larger size, as 8/9cm size plants do not have much time left to produce enough rhizome growth to get them through the winter.

If you already have a few mints, and are looking for more, then most UK Herb Farms have a very good selection of mints, and provide plenty of choice for your acquisitions. There's no point in spending your money on a lot of plants that you may not be able to look after, especially during the winter, so don't get get carried away and get too many at once! You could try the RHS website to find the nearest Herb Farm with a longer list of mints, but not all herb farms are listed!. Use their Nursery Finder page, and click on specialty and herbs for details and lists of plants of those they do list. Alternatively look on my Herb Farms and Nurseries page for address and contact details of a larger list of sources.

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In two or three years when you have exhausted local supply, and gained enough experience of the annual workload, then the nurseries listed below are worth a special visit (if open to callers). In case it's not too obvious the more types of mint a supplier lists the fewer of each will be available to buy each year, so make sure they have what you want before setting off or be prepared to have to wait another year in some cases. There are also those of us who cannot make such trips and most of the following do provide mail order services. More details of these suppliers are to be found on the Sources page or by clicking on the Nursery initials. These nine suppliers are listed because they sell more than 30 types of mint and/or they sell less common types, may be the only source or are the original source.

Mentha plants listed as available from major suppliers in the UK.
The names, in blue, are listed alphabetically in Botanical classification, then by any Horticultural classification, and lastly by any other information, such as description or common names. Recent (so-called) common names, often derived from cultivar names, or invented by a supplier, even if previously used, are not given unless needed. "Double quotation marks" are used to indicate that this name is not likely to be correct for this plant, or not in accordance with the relevant naming codes, but is widespread in use. An asterisk* indicates more than one type of mint being sold under this name.  (Additional name components in brackets, lighter blue and slightly smaller text is used by at least one of the suppliers, maybe even the RHS, but is actually incorrect - it is given here to avoid confusion.) Historical common names are given in brown.
The names are based on the RHS Plant Finder (where they actually list this plant) unless their name is wrong for the plant in question, or not consistent with other authorities or informed opinion.

Unusual Herbs and Edibles took a few years off supplying plants and have not come back yet.
The Herb Nursery does not do Mail Order and only attends local shows, but is well worth a visit, especially on their Open Weekend in June.
Penborn Goat Farm has now started selling plants by Mail Order again, as well as from the Nursery. All plants for sale are from their National Collection and they continue to add to their list. Most plants are in very limited numbers.
Old Hall Plants, previously a major supplier, now only has a few varieties at the Nursery. These are in green. I have left, in grey, those that used to be supplied to show the importance they played in the past.

Laurel Farm Herbs sell by Mail Order and from the Nursery.
Jekka's Herb Farm predominantly sell by Mail Order but have a number of "Open Days" during the season.
Iden Croft Herbs holds a National Collection, but they only have 12 mints listed to buy through their online shop, whereas the RHS Plant Finder lists many more, so enquire.
Green Garden Herbs have moved base a couple of times but now seem to be settled & operating fully again.
Arne Herbs continue to provide a number of unique mints, reliably by Mail Order or by collection, as they have for many years.

Click on the nursery initials to go to their contact details
 . AH GGH ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha "angustifolia" ambig.     ICH   OHP PGF  
 Mentha aquatica  water mint AH   ICH   OHP PGF THN
 Mentha aquatica var. crispa     ICH     PGF  
 Mentha arvensis  corn mint; field mint AH   ICH     PGF THN
 Mentha arvensis canadensis           PGF  
 Mentha arvensis 'Banana'   GGH ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha arvensis piperascens*  Japanese mint*     ICH JHF*   PGF THN
 Mentha arvensis piperascens 'Sayakaze' AH         PGF  
 Mentha asiatica  asian mint     ICH     PGF THN
 Mentha 'Berries and Cream'TM     ICH JHF   PGF  
 Mentha 'Betty's Slovakian'           PGF  
 Mentha "brevifolia"     ICH   OHP PGF  
 Mentha cervina     ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha cervina alba           PGF THN
 Mentha 'Clarissa's Millennium'     ICH     PGF  
 Mentha "crispa ambig. x piperita"           PGF  
 Mentha 'Dionysus'     ICH   OHP PGF  
 Mentha dumetorum           PGF  
 Mentha eucalyptus mint  eucalyptus mint   GGH     OHP PGF THN
 Mentha gattefossei  American pennyroyal AH            
 Mentha x gracilis [often used for next plant]  ginger mint     ICH     PGF  
 Mentha x gracilis 'Variegata' variegated ginger mint AH GGH   JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha Green Ginger           PGF THN
 Mentha haplocalyx  Chinese mint AH       OHP    
 Mentha 'Hilary's Sweet Lemon' TM     ICH   OHP PGF THN
 Mentha 'Julia's Sweet Citrus' TM     ICH   OHP PGF THN
 Mentha "lacerata"     ICH        
 Mentha lavender mint*  lavender mint*   GGH   JHF* OHP PGF THN
 Mentha longifolia  horse mint     ICH     PGF  
 Mentha longifolia 'Buddleia'/Buddleia mint group  Buddleia mint AH GGH ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha longifolia short form/dwarf         OHP PGF  
 Mentha longifolia subsp. schimperi     ICH JHF   PGF  
 Mentha longifolia 'Silver'/silver-leaved  silver mint AH     JHF   PGF THN
 Mentha longifolia 'Variegata'       JHF OHP PGF  
 Mentha 'Nile Valley'/Nile Valley mint AH   ICH   OHP PGF  
 Mentha x  piperita officinalis/white peppermint  white peppermint AH         PGF  
 Mentha x  piperita 'Black Mitchum'/'Black Mitcham'           PGF  
 Mentha x  piperita piperita/black peppermint  black peppermint AH GGH   JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha x  piperita f. citrata  Eau de Cologne mint AH GGH ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha x  piperita f. citrata 'Basil'* basil mint*   GGH ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha x  piperita f. citrata 'Bergamot'         OHP PGF  
 Mentha x  piperita f. citrata 'Chocolate'  Chocolate mint AH GGH ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha x  piperita f. citrata 'Grapefruit'   GGH   JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha x  piperita f. citrata 'Lemon'*  lemon mint*   GGH ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha x  piperita f. citrata 'Lime'* lime mint*   GGH ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha x  piperita f. citrata 'Orange'   GGH   JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha x  piperita f. citrata from Portugal AH         PGF  
 Mentha x  piperita Logee's  variegated peppermint AH GGH ICH     PGF  
 Mentha x  piperita Logee's reverted ("Rev Var" OHP)         OHP PGF  
 Mentha x  piperita var. ouwencellii     ICH   OHP PGF  
 Mentha x  piperita 'Reine Rouge'     ICH   OHP PGF  
 Mentha x  piperita 'Reverchonii'     ICH   OHP PGF UHE
 Mentha x  piperita 'Swiss Ricola'     ICH   OHP   THN
 Mentha x  piperita "Swiss mint"/'Swiss'/"Swiss"   GGH       PGF  
 Mentha  Polynesian mint   GGH       PGF  
 Mentha pulegium  pennyroyal; creeping pennyroyal AH   ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha pulegium Portuguese  Portuguese pennyroyal AH         PGF  
 Mentha pulegium 'Upright'  upright pennyroyal AH   ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha requienii  Corsican mint; Spanish mint AH GGH ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha "sativa" (syn. of spicata)       JHF      
 Mentha x smithiana  red mint   GGH   JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha "South of France"         OHP PGF  
 Mentha spicata*  spear mint*   [can vary considerably] AH GGH   JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha spicata 'Algerian Fruity'     ICH   OHP PGF  
 Mentha spicata 'Austrian'         OHP PGF  
 Mentha spicata 'Brundall'     ICH   OHP PGF  
 Mentha spicata 'Canaries'           PGF  
 Mentha spicata var. crispa  curly mint; curly spearmint AH GGH ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha spicata (var. crispa) 'Moroccan' AH GGH ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha spicata 'Guernsey'  Guernsey mint*     ICH   OHP PGF  
 Mentha spicata 'Mexican' AH         PGF  
 Mentha spicata 'Newbourne'     ICH   OHP PGF  
 Mentha spicata 'Pharaoh' AH         PGF  
 Mentha spicata 'Rhodos'/'Rhodes'         OHP PGF  
 Mentha spicata 'Russian'   GGH ICH       THN
 Mentha spicata 'Spanish furry'     ICH   OHP PGF THN
 Mentha spicata 'Spanish Pointed'     ICH JHF OHP PGF  
 Mentha spicata 'Swiss' AH     JHF      
 Mentha spicata 'Tashkent' AH GGH ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha spicata subsp. tomentosa     ICH     PGF  
 Mentha spicata 'Verte Blanche'         OHP PGF  
 Mentha suaveolens*  apple mint* AH GGH ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha suaveolens 'Grapefruit'   GGH ICH     PGF  
 Mentha suaveolens 'Jokka'           PGF  
 Mentha suaveolens 'Le Boues'       JHF   PGF  
 Mentha suaveolens 'Mobillei'     ICH   OHP PGF  
 Mentha suaveolens 'Variegata'  variegated apple mint AH   ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha suaveolens subsp. timija     ICH JHF   PGF THN
 Mentha 'Sweet Pear'         OHP PGF  
 Mentha x villosa     ICH   OHP PGF  
 Mentha x villosa var. alopecuriodes  Bowles' mint   GGH ICH JHF OHP PGF THN
 Mentha x villosa (cordifolia) "Jack Green's mint" AH         PGF  
 Mentha "verona"         OHP PGF  
               
1. This list is not comprehensive. Why? I have tried, very hard, to make sure that the plants referred to by each individual nursery are indeed the same species, cultivar or clone, even by comparing the growing plants at home, from time to time. However I cannot give an absolute 100% Guarantee about this, not including the odd nursery mistake in individual pot labels. Some nursery's use their own form of description, or even name, where they are unsure of the common name, generalised commercial name or even true cultivar name. This can just add to the already existing confusion of some of the hybrid groups or species with many variations. Another problem is the RHS database following certain lines of approach which aren't consistent with regard to reallocating nursery naming where it causes problems with the RHS database. It's just one of those things we have to learn to live with, and in light of own experience and reference to other descriptions or plants if there has been a mistake, try again. So for this reason, not wishing to add to the confusion, where the nursery's name or description does not seem to indicate the right plant for that name I have left the plant off the above list, or not used bold type, depending on my reservations. If any nursery wishes to contact me regarding this, please do at: plant-table @ mentha.info
2. This is not a complete list of all mints, but plants that are available for sale at the moment in the UK. If a name is not listed, it may only be available from one source that sells only a couple of forms, and so not included (at the moment). However if you think it should be listed then tell me at: at: plant-table @ mentha.info
3. This list is not a list of the accessions, or even taxa, in my National Plant Collection (or any of the other National Collections for that matter). If I have listed the taxa in my Collection they will be on the National Mentha Collection sub-site. It is very unlikely I will ever list all accession, as this would be of little use unless you are Very serious about the plants in which case you will have come to see me anyway.
4. I do not have a Nursery or any other form of commercial arrangement connected with my Collection, so do not have a Nursery List or Catalogue. Plant material can be made available if necessary but will involve a considerable wait. See the Collection web pages or email collection @ mentha.org.uk 
(C) David Barrett, 2011, this table and it's contents is not to be partially or fully copied, reproduced, or extracted without prior written permission, which does not include email. If you save the page, the same restrictions apply to the file as to a printed copy.

 

Mints you can buy in the UK
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