Mountain Mint growing on the author’s Virginia land. Bruce Ingram
One of the most beautiful, beneficial, and useful of the summertime bloomers is the native plant, mountain mint.
With its lance-like leaves that have a touch of white and its dainty white blooms that have a touch of pinkish purple, this three-to-five foot herb lights up the edge of Blue Ridge forests. Mountain mint is also an important summer haunt of pollinators, attracting everything from hummingbirds to moths to butterflies and bees. On our Southwest Virginia land, mountain mint typically begins blooming in late June and continues to do so throughout July.
The herb also has a role to play in highland kitchens. My wife Elaine uses mountain mint leaves as a garnish as well as a flavorful addition to soups and stews. And, yes, the leaves do have a minty taste, leading some folks to employ the dried or fresh leaves in teas. So this month, celebrate the charms of one of this region’s most endearing and enchanting herbs.
Bruce and Elaine Ingram will profile a different wild edible every month. For more information on their book Living the Locavore Lifestyle, contact them at bruceingramoutdoors@gmail.com
