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Pycnanthemum incanum

 
Pycnanthemum incanum
Common name hoary mountain mint; white horse-mint
Family lamiaceae
Life cycle perennial
Flowers purple-speckled white (summer)
Size 2'
Light sun
Cultural notes ordinary garden soil
Seed ripensearly November

hoary mountain mint; white horse-mint

Upright plant with mid-green leaves in pairs up its stalks. The leaves near the top of the stalk are much paler, almost white right at the top where the flower cluster sits. When you get up close, you can see the individual purple-and-white flowers in the cluster. From standing height, they look like creamy white pompoms. The flowers don't open all at the same time, so the flowerhead keeps a bit of a messy appearance, with unopened and spent flowers alongside the ones showing their speckled petals. Like all mountain mints, this plant's foliage is strongly scented; to my nose, it's not particularly minty, but a fragrance all its own.
Native to the Eastern US.

Pycnanthemum incanum
The ghostly coloration of the dark leaves comes out more strongly in some plants and settings; this photo of a second-year plant was taken in July

We left this plant behind in our Pennsylvania garden (and wish it well); we don't grow it in Houston.

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PlantLinks to other web pages about Pycnanthemum incanum


Seed-starting details for this plant

  1. Seed from '06 garden. Baggy 35F (15d; 18%G, 15d) - 70F (22%G, 4d). Exposure to light did not result in add'l germination
  2. Seed from '07 garden. Baggy 35F (17d) - 70F (48+%G, 3-8d)
  3. Seed from '08 garden. Baggy 35F (25d) - 70F (48%G, 3d)
  4. Seed from '08 garden. Baggy 35F (27d) - 70F (4%G, 9-14d)


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