Mint plants, which belong to the fragrant Mentha genus, are members of the large Lamiaceae family, commonly known as the mint family. Many popular varieties of mint produce blooms in shades of purple. While purple is a frequent color, the spectrum of mint flowers also includes colors ranging from white to pink.
The Appearance of Mint Flowers
Mint flowers are small and tubular. They typically possess a two-lipped corolla, a feature common to the Lamiaceae family. Unlike most other members of the family, mint flowers often have four petals fused into four subequal lobes rather than five.
These blossoms are clustered tightly together in dense arrangements called verticillasters. These clusters form whorls around the square-shaped stem at the leaf axils. In some species, these whorls stack near the top of the stem, creating a prominent terminal spike. The coloration is generally subtle, encompassing pale hues from pinkish-white to lilac and light purple.
Common Mint Types That Produce Purple Blooms
Many widely cultivated mint species produce purple or reddish-lilac blooms. Peppermint (Mentha piperita), a sterile hybrid, typically develops terminal spikes of tiny, pale purple flowers. The intensity of this reddish-lilac hue can sometimes appear quite dark against the foliage.
Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is another common variety that produces flowers in the purple spectrum, often described as pink or lilac. The color variation across the Mentha genus is wide. For example, ‘Chocolate Mint’ (Mentha piperita f. citrata) bears distinct lavender-colored flowers. Field Mint (Mentha arvensis), a native species across much of North America and Eurasia, also produces pale purple flowers.
Why Mint Plants Flower and When They Bloom
Flowering in mint is a natural and necessary step in the plant’s reproductive process, signifying that the plant has reached maturity. This process is commonly referred to as “bolting,” which is when the plant shifts its primary energy from producing flavorful leaves to generating flowers and seeds. The blooms serve to attract pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, ensuring the continuation of the species.
Mint typically begins to flower in the warmer months, generally from mid-to-late summer and sometimes continuing into early autumn. From a horticultural perspective, this flowering can impact the plant’s culinary value because the production of flowers often diminishes the concentration of essential oils in the leaves. For this reason, gardeners who wish to maximize the flavor of the leaves often prune the developing flower buds to encourage the plant to remain in its vegetative, leaf-producing phase.