Healing Gardens

Wild Mint

 

Family Name:  Mint (3)

Family Name:  Lamiaceae (3)

 

Latin Name:  Mentha arvensis

 

Common Name:  Wild Mint, Field Mint (1:244)

 

Related Species: Genus Species

 

Body System Affiliations:  Digestive System (3)

 

Botanical Description:

            Habit:  Perennial (1:244), Open-shade, moist (3)

            Size:  15-80 cm tall (1:244)

            Leaves:  “Opposite, lance-shaped to oval, 1-8 cm long, short-stalked, usually gland-dotted; margins saw-toothed” (1:244)

            Flowers:  “White to pale-purple or pink, 4-7 mm long; sepals fused into a glandular-hairy, 5-lobed tube; petals fused into a short 4-lobed tube; stamens 4, sticking out from flowers; 4-lobed ovary; numerous in whorled clusters in leaf axils” (1:244)

            Fruit:  4 nutlets (1:244)

            Underground Parts:  creeping rhizomes (1:244)

 

Ecology:

            Habitat:  streambanks, wet meadows and clearings, springs, seepage areas, lakeshores, beaver wetlands; common at low to middle elevations (1:244)

 

 

Western (European-American) Uses/Relationships:

            Food:  tea & flavoring (1:244)

            Medicine:

                        Part Used:  Leaves

                        Medicinal Actions:

                        Indications:

                        Body System Associations:  Digestive

                        Preparation:  tea=place a small handful of dried leaves in a tea-pot, pour in boiling water, let steep for several minutes (1:244)

 

 

Indigenous and Non-Western Use/Significance/Relationships:

            Medicine:

                        Indigenous Group:  Nuxalk (1:244)

                        Part Used:  Leaves

                        Indications:  Stomach pains (1:244)

            Preparation:  Tea (1:244)

                       

 

 

References Cited:

 

1. Mackinnon, Andy, and Jim Pojar.  Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast.  Vancouver, British Columbia: Ministry of Forests and Lone Pine Publishing, 1994.

 

3.  Eloheimo, Marja.  sayuyay Botanical Project:  Educational Garden Plant List.

            The Evergreen State College:  Healing Gardens, 2006.