Cold hardiness

Future

2050

2100

These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.

Now

Zone 6b

USDA

Published baseline for this location from 1991-2020.

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer

Well-suited

2050

Zone 7a

Plotwright

Projected zone for this same location in 2050 (2041-2070) using SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry).

Well-suited

In plain terms: This location is in Zone 6b today. Its hardiness profile is cold winters, and coldest nights are typically around -3°F. By 2050, the projected hardiness zone is Zone 7a based on SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry). That is a +0.5-zone shift from Zone 6b to Zone 7a by 2050.

✓

Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.

Heat tolerance

Future

2050

2100

Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.

Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 41 ecoregions — 39 climate-resilient through 2070 · 1 suited today · 1 newly possible by 2070. Best matches first.

Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests

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Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests

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Arizona Mountains forests

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Atlantic coastal pine barrens

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Blue Mountains forests

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Canadian Aspen forests and parklands

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Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests

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Central Tallgrass prairie

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Central-Southern Cascades Forests

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Chilean Matorral

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What it needs

Conditions

Light

Full sun / Part sun / Part shade

Water

Consistent moisture

Spacing

18"

Habit

Rhizomatous, upright herbaceous perennial herb spreading into a ground cover

Care tips

•

Keep the soil rich and moist — peppermint thrives in medium-to-wet conditions and naturalizes at pond margins and in rain gardens, but struggles in dry soil.

•

Confine the rhizomes with a soil barrier (or grow it in a sunken container) wherever you do not want it running through a bed.

•

Shear large plantings after bloom to remove the flower spikes and trigger a flush of fresh, fragrant new leaves.

Lifecycle

Planting

Best grown in rich, moist soils in full sun to part shade; it adapts to most soils except dry ones (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder). Site it in moist informal areas — pond and water-garden margins, rain gardens, or low open woodland — or install a soil barrier to restrain its rhizomatous spread in borders.

Transplanting

A rhizomatous perennial — lift and divide established clumps, or detach rooted rhizome pieces, to make more plants or to relocate a spreading patch.

Early growth

Keep the soil moist (medium to wet water) while plants establish and through the season. Large plantings may be sheared after bloom to remove the flower spikes and stimulate fresh vegetative growth (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Maturity

Mature plants reach about 1 to 2 feet tall and wide but spread further by rhizomes to form a ground cover. Shear after bloom for a flush of new leaves, and contain the rhizomes with a soil barrier where spread is unwanted (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Propagation

Peppermint is a hybrid that rarely sets seed, so it is propagated vegetatively — by division of the clump or by rooted rhizome pieces or stem cuttings rather than from seed (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Pollination

Self-fertile

Peppermint is a hybrid of Mentha aquatica and Mentha spicata that rarely sets seed (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder), so it is grown for foliage rather than fruit and is propagated vegetatively. The showy pink flower spikes are nonetheless an insect-attracting nectar source: MBG lists the plant as attracting butterflies.

For people

Edible

Grown as a culinary and medicinal herb: per the Missouri Botanical Garden, peppermint may be used to flavor teas, as a garnish, or in potpourris. The leaves are fragrant and are the source of peppermint flavoring.

Native range

AHS heat range

1-9

Climate notes

•

Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder lists Mentha × piperita as a herbaceous perennial for USDA zones 5 to 9, 1-2 feet tall and wide, in full sun to part shade with medium-to-wet water; pink flowers bloom July to August.

•

A natural hybrid of Mentha aquatica (watermint) and Mentha spicata (spearmint), native to Europe and not native to North America. It spreads aggressively by rhizomes into an attractive ground cover and rarely sets seed, so site it where running is acceptable or confine it with a soil barrier (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

•

Missouri Botanical Garden notes it adapts to most soils except dry ones and prefers rich, moist conditions — it tolerates wet soil and naturalizes well at pond margins, in rain gardens, and in low open woodland; no serious insect or disease problems, but it can be an aggressive spreader.

In the designer

Growth over time

12-24" tall · 12-24" spread

Mature 1-2 ft clump that keeps spreading by rhizomes; confine with a soil barrier where spread is unwanted.

Design roles: Edible · Pollinator · Filler

Seasonal interest

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Filled = the plant has seasonal interest · ▾ now = your current season

Peppermint

At a glance

Related products

Why it matters

Cold hardiness

Heat tolerance

Where this plant fits

What it needs

Lifecycle

Pollination

For people

Native range

Climate notes

In the designer

Seasonal interest

Sources & citations