Mentha spicata var. crispa 'Moroccan' (Garden Mint)

Common name: Moroccan Mint (Curly Spearmint)

Description: This distinctive variety of spearmint is prized for its intense fragrance and flavour that is essential to authentic Moroccan mint tea. The aromatic foliage features crinkled, ruffled leaves with slightly serrated edges, creating an attractive textural quality. 'Moroccan' mint produces bright green leaves that are more petite and delicately crinkled than common spearmint, with a concentrated essential oil content that delivers an exceptionally sweet, clean mint flavour without bitterness. In summer, the plant produces whorls of small lilac-pink flowers on slender spikes that attract beneficial insects. The compact growth habit makes it suitable for containers as well as garden cultivation.

Other benefits: culinary herb for teas, desserts and savoury dishes; natural breath freshener; repels garden pests; excellent for container growing

Wildlife attraction: bees, butterflies, hoverflies and other beneficial pollinators

Height & spread (approx.) at 10 years: 45cm x 90cm (if not contained)

Position: full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade beneficial in hot climates

Soil pH: adaptable to most soil conditions; prefers slightly acidic to neutral

Moisture: consistent moisture required; does not tolerate drought; thrives in moist soil

Winter hardiness: cold hardy to -15°C; may die back to ground level in winter and re-emerge in spring