Softly rounded leaves marked with bold variegation, and a fragrance strong enough to scent a whole terrace: that is pineapple mint (Mentha rotundifolia ‘Pineapple’), a herb whose flavour pairs happily with meals, fruit salads and sauces. Give it full or part sun, never scorching, and the foliage stays as good to look at as it is to flavour a dish.
Forget about store-bought mint that only keeps for a couple days and pick leaves from your own bush when you need it!
This variety will definitely appeal to you: pineapple mint!
| Name | Mentha rotundifolia ‘Pineapple’ |
|---|---|
| Family | Lamiaceae |
| Type | herbs and spices, mint |
| Height | 8 to 24 inches (20 to 60 cm) |
| Exposure | full sun, part sun |
| Soil | light, well-drained |
| Harvest | late spring to mid-autumn |
You’ll often be purchasing your variegated pineapple mint in pots: transplant it to the ground early mid-spring.
You can also leave it in its original pot for a while for easy picking indoors or on a balcony.
What is best, though, when growing it potted is to re-pot immediately after purchasing in a larger pot.
This plant is perfectly suited to indoor growing, or on a balcony, in a pot or garden box.
Take care to water regularly so that the soil mix never dries up.
You can harvest pineapple mint leaves all spring and summer long right when you need it.
Select larger leaves, and snip the entire stem off, so that new shoots can appear.
To dry the surplus, hang small bunches upside down somewhere airy and dark, then crumble the leaves into an airtight jar once they snap cleanly.
It is very easy to grow your pineapple mint inside your house, on a balcony or terrace. The powerful fragrance released also spreads an agreeable smell throughout the house or along the terrace.
There isn’t any “better” season to grow pineapple mint indoors.
You can really grow it all year long, even in winter.
Usually it is added to summer meals.
It is mostly grown from mid-spring to early autumn-mid-autumn, both indoors and outdoors.
Choose a sunny, well-lit space like a windowsill, but avoid direct sun.
Pineapple mint is beautifully variegated and its flavor pairs well with many meals, fruit salads and sauces.
Growing it is rather easy as long as basic rules are followed.
There are 25 mint species. Simply remember that most of them are rather invasive and that growing them in pots or garden boxes will prevent them from spreading everywhere in the garden.
Pineapple mint is difficult to freeze and tends to turn black. It’s always best to use it fresh, or dried. Fresh mint is always more flavorful.
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