Slender Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium) is a lovely, graceful addition to pollinator, herb, and cut flower gardens. Mountain mints are some of the best pollinator plants.  They attract and support hundreds of insect species including many native bees, butterflies, skippers, moths, beetles, beneficial flies and wasps, and bee flies.

You will be delighted with the visual activity you can observe on Slender Mountain Mint.  Sometimes you can ever hear it! The slender foliage of this species adds texture and interest to the garden even when the plant is not in bloom.

In bloom, mountain mints sport many dense heads of white blossoms.  It’s botanical name has its origin in the Greek  “pyknos” meaning dense and “anthos” meaning flowers. It tends to begin blooming in late June or early July and continue through July until mid or late August.

Slender mountain mint, though not as aggressive as some species, can still spread by rhizomes and form dense colonies overtime.  It forms a  2 to 3-foot-tall groundcover. In this way, this plant is useful for mass plantings, meadows, soil and small bank stabilizers, natural plantings or restoration projects.

It prefers full sun but tolerates light shade. Grow it in average to moist, but well-drained soils; it is tolerant of dry, rocky soils and drought once established. Complementary plants include Monarda fitsulosa, Heliopsis helianthoides, Asclepias tuberosa, and Echinacea sp. If the foliage is brushed or bruised, a strong but pleasant minty smell is emitted, and can be used as a culinary herb. Did someone say mojitos?