Common Names
Peppermint, brandy mint, lamb mint, lammint.

Description
A perennial that grows to 3 feet in height. It has a pungent mint smell, and dark green, serrated leaves. Produces purplish flowers in spike-like groups in axils and terminally.

Flowering Period
Late June to October.

Habitat
Brook banks, wet meadows, and other damp places.

Harvest
Herb during early flowering time.

Uses
The herb is a source of the volatile oil of peppermint. Cultivated plants are grown for this product, mostly in the Pacific Northwest coast area. In Appalachia, the herb has been used generally as a flavoring agent and in treating colic and indigestion. In Europe, it is considered a carminative and is believed to increase bile secretion.