​Pycnanthemum virginianum, Virginia Mountain Mint

Another species that is enjoyed by a broad range of nectar feeders and pollinators, Virginia Mountain-mint blooms solidly for a six-week period every summer, with a few sporadic blossoms appearing for up to another month.

They are quick to appear each spring, with their wonderfully fragrant leaves usually being included with my ‘Look, things are growing!’ photos in April.

After the end of the blooming season their seed heads remain upright and tidy as they dry and the seeds mature and, in my personal opinion, are quite pretty.

I’m frequently asked whether these will run like many of the mints commonly grown in herb gardens (or in pots) famously do. My experience of them, after five years in various gardens, is that they do spread, but at a moderate pace. Slower than some of their other Mint family cousins, the Monardas, for example. They are assertive enough, though, that I wouldn’t hesitate to plant them alongside species known to meander around or crowd their neighbours.

Their height has been around 18” to 36”, although I suspect that they could grow quite a bit taller in a location with tall neighbours and plenty of moisture. They do well in part or full day sun but seems to be happiest either with a bit of shade in the hottest part of the day or with a bit of extra moisture in very dry spells.

They would get along quite well with Whirled, Common or Swamp Milkweed, Fireweed, Grass-leaved Goldenrod (these do spread quite a bit) Sneezeweed, Wild Bergamot, Scarlet Beebalm, Sundrops, Grey-headed Coneflower, Smooth Blue and New England Aster, Stiff, Early and Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod and Blue Vervain.