Water Mint is a
native
perennial plant of the UK, typically found growing in water margins and wetlands, to a mature height of up to 100cm.
Water Mint, although related, is a different species to those commonly used in the kitchen, such as: Spearmint (Mentha spicata) and Moroccan Mint (Mentha spicata var. crispa 'Moroccan'). Water Mint is sometimes used but it has a stronger, more pungent flavour than most culinary mints and is more suited for making mint tea.
Botanic classification and naming: Water Mint is a member of the Mint (Lamiaceae) family. The genus name
'Mentha' identifies the plant as a Mint and its species name 'aquatica' means 'water plant'.
Concerns: Note that unsupervised foraging may cause damage to wild plants and misidentification of forage species may be dangerous. The complete removal of a plant from the wild is illegal under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981).
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