What is Chocolate Mint?
Chocolate mint is a Mentha piperia cultivar which has a hint of a chocolatey taste, leading many people to compare it to peppermint patties. Like many mints, chocolate mint is very easy to grow, and it will spread readily in the garden if it is given a free hand. Many garden suppliers carry chocolate mint along with other flavored mint cultivars, like orange or lemon mint, and it can also be grown from seeds or cuttings. Like all mints, chocolate mint is characterized by a classically square stem and simple, lightly serrated leaves. Depending on the weather conditions where chocolate mint is grown, the leaves may be a dark green to purple color, often streaked with darker color. Chocolate mint has a strong minty aroma which has a faint hint of chocolate, making it a very pleasant plant to have around the garden, even if you don’t eat it. It is also a great plant for a bird or butterfly garden, since these creatures are very attracted to mint. This plant has two stages of growth. In the
