What is Orange Mint?

 I got my original orange mint plant from the now closed honeysuckle cottage nursery. Judy Mc Leod writes about Orange mint: “this mint is utterly irresistable, intensely fragrant of sweet orange, spice and mint,…” and further: ” This variety from the USA is truly citrus scented and is not synonymous with the heavier scented Eau de Cologne mint, although it belongs to the same species.”

Orange mint is a cultivar of mentha x piperita citrata. Mentha x piperita is a hybrid between M. aquatica (Water Mint) and M. spicata (Spearmint). 

I wrote a blog entry about all the mint varieties and cultivars available in Australia: https://mountainherbs.net/blogs/news/sorting-out-mint-names-species-hybrids-and-cultivars

Kitchen Use of Orange Mint:

Orange mint tastes best uncooked. The citrus flavour is a bright alternative to regular mints and works well in salads, with fruits, in iced tea, dressings, vinegar, cocktails, lemonade and potpourris as well as a deodorant for rooms, tables and the body. Orange Mint has less concentrated amounts of Menthol than its cousins, Peppermint or Spearmint, its soft citrus flavour is less harsh.

Orange Mint in the garden:

Orange mint is easy to grow and tends to spread. Can be planted it in a pot.

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