"Hoary mountain-mint, so called because of the hoary/white appearance of the upper leaves and bracts beneath its flower clusters, is in the Lamiaceae family. It is an erect, many-branched perennial that typically grows 2-3' tall on square stems like all members of the mint family. It can be used to help stop erosion, it is drought tolerant, and grows well even in dry soils. It roots by stems and self seeds easily, naturalizing in a landscape so be aware of its weedy tendencies.

"Hoary Mountainmint is an herbaceous perennial that may grow to 5 feet tall. The stem is densely covered with short white hairs. The leaves are opposite with a toothed margin and white top. White or lilac flowers with purple spots first mature in mid summer and continue into early fall." (North Carolina Extension) 

Botany:

"Pycnanthemum incanum, commonly called hoary mountain mint, is best distinguished by the hoary/whitish appearance of the upper leaves and bracts beneath the tiered flower clusters. This is an erect, many-branched perennial that typically grows 2-3' tall on square stems. Broad-ovate, toothed leaves (1.5 to 3" long) are hoary beneath. Small, two-lipped, white (sometimes lavender-tinged) flowers with purple spotting on the lower lip bloom in mid to late summer in tiered terminal and upper axillary clusters (to 1.5" wide). All parts of the plant emit a strong, spearmint-like aroma when crushed. Leaves have been used to flavor teas. Flowers are a favorite of butterflies, moths and beneficial predatory wasps." (Missouri Botanical Garden)

Botanical illustration (Britton et. el.)

Faunal Associations: 

Works Cited

Cover: 

1. "Pycnanthemum incanum (hoary mountain-mint), West Warwick, RI" by Doug McGrady, 4 July 2017, CC BY 2.0
2. "Pycnanthemum incanum (hoary mountain-mint), West Warwick, RI" by Doug_McGrady is licensed under CC BY 2.0
   

North Carolina Extension plant description: Pycnanthemum Incanum (Hoary Mountainmint, Hoary Mountain Mint, Hoary Mountain-Mint, Mountain Mint, Silverleaf Mountain-Mint) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/pycnanthemum-incanum/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2022.

Missouri Botanical Garden botany: "Pycnanthemum incanum" Missouri Botanical Garden,. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=y340. Accessed 2 Feb. 2022.

Botanical illustration: "Pycnanthemum incanum var incanum" By Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Vol. 3: 144. Courtesy of Kentucky Native Plant Society. Scanned by Omnitek Inc. - USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Vol. 3: 144., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24360537

Faunal Association: "Pycnanthemum incanum (hoary mountain-mint), West Warwick, RI, bee" by Doug_McGrady is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Information and images compiled by Erik N. Vegeto

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