Pycnanthemum muticum (Blunt Mountain Mint)
$8.00
Out of stock
Size: 1-3’ tall / 1-3’ wide
Sun: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil: Average, Well-Drained, Medium to Moist / Adaptable
Bloom Time: Summer
Deer Resistance: 5/5
Ecotype: Unknown
Pycnanthemum muticum is a pollinator powerhouse and vigorous perennial that spreads readily via rhizomes. It prefers a moist site in full sun, though it is adaptable to both sunlight and soil moistures. During times of prolonged drought, the leaves may wilt and some of the lower stems may defoliate. It has small pink flowers that are offset by dusty, silvery green bracts. It has strongly aromatic essential oils that fill the air with a minty smell when you brush up against it. The seedheads are attractive and persist through the winter. Though it can be an aggressive spreader, the roots are shallow and easily pulled.
Blunt Mountain Mint, like all Mountain Mints, produces ample nectar, attracting all kinds of wasps, bees, butterflies, moths, and flies, and the buzzing can be heard from several feet away. They bloom at the same time as many predatory wasps are active, fueling them as they hunt and provide natural pest control around the garden. The Gray Hairstreak butterfly and Wavy-Lined Emerald moth both use it as a larval host plant. Due to the strong minty smell, deer and other herbivores do not eat this plant. This is a great plant in larger meadow plantings, and a good choice to plant around other less-deer-resistant perennials to help deter deer browse.