Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) Plant in Bloom
This photo shows a peppermint plant in bloom, with its distinctive spikes of small, lavender flowers. Although there are no bees pictured here, bees love these flowers, which not only attract honeybees but a variety of bees, wasps, and other pollinators.
Note the opposite arrangement of leaves along the stem, a feature shared by all mints. This photo also shows the leggy growth habit of peppermint...the stems grow long and tall, but cannot support their own weight, and often fall over, creating a messy appearance.
This growth habit actually helps the plant spread, as the fallen stems readily root at the nodes. Although the plant blooms prolifically, it rarely spreads by seed, and spreads aggressively vegetatively.
This image is featured in our article on Peppermint Tea.
