Name: Pycnanthemum muticum - Short Toothed Mountain Mint
Family: Lamiaceae
Bloom Time: July - September
Flowers: white to blush pink with lavender spots and silver bracts
Soil Condition: moist-average, well drained
Light: Sun-Partial Shade
Size: 24-36" tall by 24-36" wide
Native Range: Eastern United States including Long Island
Zone: 4 to 8
Pycnanthemum muticum is in the mint family and it will naturalize but it will not take over your yard like the invasive true mints in the Mentha family (spearmint, peppermint, etc). The fragrant leaves may be used in teas. Great near a vegetable garden or in an herb garden to bring in more pollinators. Looks great in a planter or in the garden in groups of 3 or more plants to really show off the silver foliage. Makes a great cut and dried flower. Tolerates clay soil.
Maintenance: If naturalizing is not wanted, use a sharp spade to prune the roots. Tolerates drought but not for very long periods of time.
Benefits: Pollinator superstar! Nectar source. Deer and rabbit resistant. Host plant for the Gray Hairstreak Butterfly. Erosion control.
Companion Plants: Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass), Heliopsis helianthoides (Ox-eye Daisy), Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower), Liatris spicata (Blazing Star)
pics: KMS Native Plants LLC
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