European pennyroyal
Mentha pulegium

Family: Lamiaceae

What it is like

A herb. It grows 20-30 cm high and spreads 50 cm wide. It has stolons or runners with scale like leaves. The stems curve upwards and can be trailing. They are 15-30 cm long. They are tinged purple. There are lines along them and there are many branches. The flower spikes have 10-30 flowers and are round. Flowers are red, purple or white.

There are 25 Mentha species. Pennyroyal oil is used in medicine. It is used to reduce the garlic smell of the breath.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in N China. It grows in soils that are sometimes waterlogged. It can grow in arid places. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 2,000 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 7-10. Tasmania Herbarium.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Andes, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Asia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Balkans, Bosnia, Britain, Canada, Cape Verde, Caucasus, Central America, Central Asia, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, Egypt, Europe, France, Georgia, Greece, Hawaii, Hungary, India, Indochina, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Laos, Luxembourg, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, Morocco, Mozambique, New Zealand, North Africa, North America, Pacific, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, SE Asia, Sicily, Slovenia, South America, Spain, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uruguay, USA, West Indies

How it is used for food

The very tender tips can be added in small amounts to salads and cooked with vegetables. They are used to flavour meat, sauces, stews, and for stuffings. The dried leaves are used to flavour stewed prunes, apricots, and mixed fruit. The fresh and dried leaves are used for tea. Caution: It contains pulegone known to produce abortions. It should not be taken by pregnant women.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable.

Edible parts

Leaves, spice, leaves - tea, vegetable, flowers - tea

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Chun e bo he, Dere nanesi, Desi podna, Fluo, Jamni podina, Menta, Mentuccia, Ombalo, Pennyroyal, Pennyroyal mint, Polaj, Poleo, Polego, Poliol, Pudina, Pueges, Yaban nanesi, Yabani nane, Yarpuz

Synonyms

Pulegium vulgare Miller;