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Narrowleaf Mountain Mint

Pycnanthemum tenuifolium

Other common name(s):

Slender Mountain Mint, Common Horsemint

Family:

Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

East Central Texas Plains, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Northern Post Oak Savanna
Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

1
to
3
ft.

Spread

1
to
3
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Rocky, Rich, Well Drained, Poor Drainage, Moist, Dry

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Medium

Native Habitat

Grassland, Woodland, Variable

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White, Blue, Purple

Bloom Season

Summer

Seasonal Interest

Seeds, Nectar, Pollen

Wildlife Benefit

Beetles, Butterflies, Birds, Small Mammals, Nectar Insects, Deer, Moths, Bees

Maintenance

Can spread vigorously so give space or thin for smaller spaces. Will grow in various moist to dry soils. Works well for the herb garden, rock garden, border, naturalized area or meadow. Also may be grown in open areas near ponds and streams. Propagation: Root Division, Seed.

Comments

Blooms June-September. Normally around 2 feet tall, but can reach 4 feet in rich soil. Erect, clump-forming growth. Silvery, narrow leaves have a minty aroma Terminal flower clusters are composed of numerous, small, two-lipped flowers, varying from whitish to lavender, with purple spots. Native Habitat: Upland prairies; dry, rocky, open woods; low, wet areas as well as fast-draining Post Oak woods and pine barrens. Attracts: bees and butterflies use flowers. Numerous animals eat seeds. Deer eat leaves.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym(s): Koellia flexuosa, Pycnanthemum flexuosum

References

1) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PYTE; 2) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=32668#null; 3) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=13612&locationType=County&mapType=Normal; 4) https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=r690

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Contact a local Chapter

State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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