Aromatic Flowers of the Mint Family
The mint family is an enormous group of flowers, with over 3,000 species. Aromatic plants and flowers in the mint family are quite easy to identify. All of them have square or angled stems, with leaves growing opposite to each other. The flowers are usually small, grown in clusters. Each flower has noticeable upper and lower lips.
The following are seven plants in the mint family with fragrant and beautiful flowers, whose leaves are also used as seasoning herbs.
Garden Sage
A woody perennial from the Mediterreanean region. The Garden Sage plants are highly aromatic and have been grown for centuries both as herbs and garden flowers. The leaves are about 2 - 3 inches long with a broad lanced shape, covered with short silvery hair. The flowers, grown in profuse clusters, are purplish blue or white. They usually bloom in July and August. Each plant can grow up to about 1 - 2 feet. Horehound
A rampant weedy Eurasian perennial. The Horehound plants are only about 15 - 25 inches high. They are not often cultivated as garden flowers, for it is hard to keep them within bounds. The Horehound leaves are about ¾ - 1 inch long, white, ovalish and fuzzy. The Horehound flowers are tiny and grayish white, crowded in very dense clusters at the leaf joints. Lavender
A highly aromatic plant, native to the Mediterrenean region. Its leaves are about 1 ½ inches long, lance-shaped and felty, with curled margins. Its handsome flowers are pale blue, approximately ½ inch wide, two-lipped and crowded in lavish clusters at th leaf joints. Pot Marjoram
An attractive Eurasian perennial that has been widely cultivated in North America. The plants usually grow up to only 15 - 30 inches, with oval leaves about 1 inch long. The flowers are purplish pink, small and grown in dense clusters borne on forked terminal branchlets. Pot Marjoram is very easy to grow and may become weedy; if the gardener does not take care of it properly, it can become quite rampant. Rosemary
Rosemary is a charming evergreen shrub, originated from the Mediterrenean region. Its pale blue flowers and ashy foliage are highly aromatic. The Rosemary flowers are small, irregular-shaped, with two lips (the upper lip has 2 lobes and the lower one has 3). The leaves are lance-shaped and about only 1 inch long. There's an old English saying that "Where rosemary grows best the mistress is master." Thyme
A woody perennial from the Mediterrenean region. It is mostly grown for seasoning, but the purple Thyme flowers can actually add extra charm to your garden. Thyme leaves are ovalish and nearly stalkless, with curled margins. Its tiny two-lipped flowers are scarcely ¼ inch long, grown in clusters at the leaf joints. Sweet Marjoram
In warm regions, Sweet Marjoram are grown as a perennial. In the U.S, however, it has been cultivated as an annual. Sweet Marjoram has stalked leaves, that are about ½ long and elliptic in outline. The flowers are very small, either purple or white, and groped in spikes. Some Cool Links
- Edible Flowers
- A extensive list of edible flowers. You will find out about their common and botanical names. Plus, you will also learn what they taste like.
- Flower Guide - Identification And Planting Your Own
- This article will teach you about some extremely interesting flowers, a lot of useful gardening tips as well as some fun floral trivia.
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