spearmint

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Read Next

Plant seedlings emerging from rich fertile soil

Do Plants Feel Pain?

Britannica’s Flower Bingo

curly kale. Kale or borecole (Brassica oleracea Acephala Group) a loose leafed, edible plant derived from the cabbage. vegetable

Nutritional Powerhouses: 8 Foods That Pack a Nutritional Punch

Why Do Some Foods Explode in the Microwave?

Some Like It Hot: 9 Soups from Around the World

Discover

Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 9th Mechanized Division learning to operate and maintain M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks at Besmaya Combat Training Center, Baghdad, Iraq, 2011. Military training. Iraq war. U.S. Army

8 Deadliest Wars of the 21st Century

Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?

Diverse elementary school children wearing school uniforms running outside of school. Boys girls

Pro and Con: School Uniforms

Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that

America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)

Why Is Ireland Two Countries?

Title: Senate Square, St. Petersburg, December 14, 1825: repression of the troop mutiny - watercolor by Carl Ivanovitch Kollman, 1825 depicts Decembrist uprising clashing with cavalry, with spectators watching. (new style December 26, 1825) Europe. Saint

8 of the Largest Empires in History

Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society

12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”

spearmint

plant

Also known as: Mentha spicata

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Related Topics:: mint; peppermint; herb

See all related content

spearmint, (Mentha spicata), aromatic herb of the mint family (Lamiaceae), widely used for culinary purposes. Spearmint is native to Europe and Asia and has been naturalized in North America and parts of Africa. The leaves are used fresh or dried to flavour many foods, particularly sweets, beverages, salads, soups, cheeses, meats, fish, sauces, fruits, and vegetables. The essential oil is used to flavour toothpaste, candles, candies, and jellies; its principal component is carvone.

Spearmint is a perennial plant that aggressively spreads by creeping stolons. The simple fragrant leaves are sharply serrated and arranged oppositely along the square stems. Spearmint has lax, tapering spikes of lilac, pink, or white flowers.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.