WILD FOODIES' HOME PAGE
PLANT PROFILE LIST

 

  Mentha aquatica bluete.jpeg  Mentha aquatica01.jpg

 

NAME: Watermint

SPECIES / FAMILY:  Mentha Aquatica / Lamiaceae

OTHER COMMON NAME(S): 

CONDITIONS: swamps, rivers, streams, wet woods
 

PARTS:

EDIBLE cid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

TASTE

RAW/COOK

SEASON

All

 

 

 

 

Shoots

 

 

 

 

Leaves

cid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

peppermint

RAW/COOK

Summer

Stalk/Stem

 

 

 

 

Buds

       

Flowers

cid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

 

RAW

Summer

Fruits

 

 

 

 

Pods

 

 

   

Seeds

 

 

 

 

Nuts

 

 

 

 

Roots

 

 

 

 

Bark

 

 

 

 

 

PORTION: small

 

COMMENT: Leaves - strong distinctive peppermint-like fragrance. Used as a flavouring in salads or cooked foods. The leaves are too pungent for most people to use as a flavouring. A herb tea is made from the leaves.(1)

 

CAUTION: “Although no records of toxicity have been seen for this species, large quantities of some members of this genus, especially when taken in the form of the extracted essential oil, can cause abortions so some caution is advised.”(1) Excessive mint exposure may cause an arthritic condition.

 

NUTRITION/MEDICINAL:  Anodyne;  Antidiarrhoeal;  Antiseptic;  Antispasmodic;  Astringent;  Carminative;  Cholagogue;  Diaphoretic;  Emetic;  Refrigerant;  Stimulant;  Stomachic;  Tonic;  Vasodilator.(1)

 

LOOK-A-LIKES:  Looks like most other “upright” mints, but not groundcover/vine-like mints.

 

POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES: 

 

OTHER USES: Repellent;  Strewing. The plant repels flies, mice and rats. It has a pleasant, fresh scent and was formerly used as a strewing herb and has been strewn in granaries to keep mice and rats off the grain. The plant, harvested before flowering, yields about 0.8% essential oil. The fresh or dried plant is very good when used in herbal baths and can also be used in herb pillows.(1) Any mint is an insect and rodent repellent, just put some in a blender with water, sieve out fiber, use mint water to damp mop and dust. Also use to rinse woolen clothes to keep moths away.

 

SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):

  1. https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Mentha+aquatica
  2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentha_aquatica
  3. http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2011/water-mint-mentha-aquatica (good photos)
  4. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Eichhornia_crassipes (good photos)