Aromatic herb with erect, square-shaped stems and narrow, oval-shaped leaves that have pointed tips and toothed edges. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs and the small, pink, light purple or white flowers appear in spikes.
Spearmint
Antimicrobial, fumigant, insecticide.
Spearmint leaves are infused in water to make spearmint tea. Spearmint is an ingredient of Maghrebi mint tea. Grown in the mountainous regions of Morocco, this variety of mint possesses a clear, pungent, but mild aroma. Spearmint is an ingredient in several mixed drinks, such as the mojito and mint julep. Sweet tea, iced and flavoured with spearmint, is a summer tradition in the Southern United States.
The most abundant compound in spearmint oil is R-(–)-carvone, which gives spearmint its distinctive smell. Spearmint oil also contains significant amounts of limonene, dihydrocarvone, and 1,8-cineol. Unlike oil of peppermint, oil of spearmint contains minimal amounts of menthol and menthone. It is used as a flavouring for toothpaste and confectionery, and is sometimes added to shampoos and soaps.
Spearmint essential oil has had success as a larvicide against mosquitoes. Using spearmint as a larvicide would be a greener alternative to synthetic insecticides due to their toxicity and negative effect to the environment.
Used as a fumigant, spearmint essential oil is an effective insecticide against adult moths.
Spearmint has been used for its supposed antimicrobial activity, which may be related to carvone. Its in vitro antibacterial activity has been compared to that of amoxicillin, penicillin, and streptomycin. Spearmint oil is found to have higher activity against gram-positive bacteria compared to gram-negative bacteria in vitro, which may be due to differing sensitivities to oils.
Typically, mint tea is made from peppermint leaves. Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) is a hybrid, or a blend, of the spearmint plant and the water mint plant. The perennial peppermint plant has bright green leaves and can easily be grown in a variety of low light spaces (including an apartment) so it has become a popular plant to cultivate for food and beverages. It can also be mixed with eucalyptus for flu and cold prevention.
Mint tea can be made solely with peppermint leaves, but you can also combine peppermint with spearmint leaves to make double mint tea. Some people even combine peppermint with other herbal ingredients to create unique blends.
As with all herbs, only consume in small quantities as an additive. Spearmint might cause sleepiness and slowed breathing. Taking spearmint with sedative medications might cause breathing problems and/or too much sleepiness.
Culinary herb, herbal, R-(–)-carvone, , dihydrocarvone, and 1,8-cineol, limonene.