Mentha Species, Corsican Mint

I have patches of Corsican Mint growing in various places around the yard (Zone 8B, SW Washington state) -- I didn't plant it; it just sh...Read Moreowed up. Last year I decided to transplant a couple of patches into bare spots on the rock mound that houses my waterfall. One took and is doing well; the other not so much, but it's in more sun and a bit drier location. Lovely plant -- looks a bit like Baby's Tears but seems considerably less invasive. It does like wet, shady spots. It does have a very strong mint smell.

This is the hardest plant to transplant requiring special techniques to get it to survive the process of reestablishment - sometimes. I ...Read Morehad to torture several to come up with a foolproof method for my customers to ensure transplant success, but eventually quit selling plants at all and only produce seeds now, but that is a challenge requiring specialized growing procedures.
It is also the hardest plant to ship or transport anywhere, evidently it cannot tolerate rapid temperature changes like heat, as well as getting diseased in the shipping box quickly. It is very prone to botyrtis and rots inside the house unless kept very dry and very cold. It grows like a weed in the pacific NW, with constant rain 9 months out of the year and wet clay soils it was never a problem getting it to grow outside, just killing it out of the other plants was a challenge. It is very easy from seed providing you can keep the tiny seed watered and keep it from blowing away. It will not germinate in temps much above 75F. You also should not give it solid fertilizer and be very careful with micronutrients = it burns easily. Once it is established it is very heat, drought and wet tolerant, It is also sun and shade tolerant but more prone to disease in heavy shade.

Have grown this here for 20 years; my favorite ground cover! You have to keep an eye on it if you have good luck growing it; it will show...Read More up in spots all over the garden. The scent can be strong enough to clear one's sinuses.

I love this plant and am determined to figure it out. I have lived in 3 areas of NC, z8,z7 and z6. In all I have been able to get a beaut...Read Moreiful rapidly spreading patch which will up and all or mostly die in a matter of a few days. My TLC: well drained, never too dry, never too wet, dappled shade, air movement, don't overfertilize. Haven't seen a definite pattern as to when it dies other than suddenly. The longest I have had it do well was in z8 where, although it was subjected to very hot and humid conditions, it was in a sand based soil that was almost impossible to overwater. In z7 I had clay based soils and losing "picky" plants to heat/humidity was pretty common. Now here in z6 we just came through a horrendous drought - hot days but unusually low humidty all summer. I kept it watered regularly and it grew great. Then in Sept we got several days of much needed rain and almost overnight it died back to only a very few tiny patches. The patch is well drained so don't think drowning occured. In the past I have had some luck with incremently sifting in bits of soil to keep the plant from matting up but that is too much maintenance for me. Ideas? d-mail me if this isn't the place for that. I also can't get Irish moss to last long for me either! :(