Hey, just a heads up—this is pennyroyal, not regular mint. It smells great, but it’s toxic to humans and shouldn’t be eaten. It’s good for keeping some pests away and pollinators love it, though. Happy gardening!
@Teal
Crazy how many people are missing that THIS ISN’T MINT.
Ash said:
@Teal
Crazy how many people are missing that THIS ISN’T MINT.
You’re right, I should have said ‘member of the mint family.’ A quick search led me to pennyroyal, but I was asking if it behaves like culinary mint in open soil. Seems like the answer is yes, unfortunately. 
@Mateo_Lopez
Makes sense. Not trying to nitpick, just wanted to make sure people know it’s toxic. Maybe plant it in a pot instead?
Teal said:
@Mateo_Lopez
Makes sense. Not trying to nitpick, just wanted to make sure people know it’s toxic. Maybe plant it in a pot instead?
No worries, I’m here to learn! It’s a good reminder of how misleading common names can be. Specificity matters when a plant could be dangerous.
@Teal
Guess I need to listen to Pennyroyal Tea again more carefully now.
Dara said:
@Teal
Guess I need to listen to Pennyroyal Tea again more carefully now.
Sit and drink Pennyroyal Tea, distill the life that’s inside of me… Yep, the lyrics hit different now.
@Teal
It’s still a mint species, just not your typical culinary kind.
@Teal
Pennyroyal has historically been used as an abortifacient. Handle with care.
And that’s how I accidentally started the largest mint farm in the country.
Imagine the deepest self-loathing you’ve ever felt… now go two levels deeper.
Lane said:
Imagine the deepest self-loathing you’ve ever felt… now go two levels deeper.
@Tristan
Yeah, this looks like pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium). It smells very strong, almost medicinal, and it’s toxic. Definitely not for internal use.
Dakota said:
@Tristan
Yeah, this looks like pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium). It smells very strong, almost medicinal, and it’s toxic. Definitely not for internal use.
Thank you for saying this. I had to scroll way too far to see it identified properly.
Monty said:
@Paxton
People love to comment without actually knowing what they’re looking at.
Especially when OP clearly said it’s pennyroyal…
I think they edited the post. It originally just said mint.
@Dakota
Agreed, I didn’t see pennyroyal mentioned in the original post either.
Mint will take over unless you contain it. Try planting it in a pot buried in the ground. That might help keep it under control.
Marley said:
Mint will take over unless you contain it. Try planting it in a pot buried in the ground. That might help keep it under control.
It’s such a beautiful plant, though! I guess I’ll try the buried pot method and hope for the best.
@Mateo_Lopez
Make sure the pot doesn’t have holes, or it’s game over!