Common Name: rosemary mint
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Lamiaceae
Native Range: Northeast Mexico, Haiti
Zone: 8 to 10
Height: 3.00 to 4.00 feet
Spread: 3.00 to 4.00 feet
Bloom Time: August to September
Bloom Description: Lavender-pink
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Annual, Herb
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Fragrant
Attracts: Hummingbirds
Tolerate: Drought
Culture
Winter hardy to USDA Zones 8-10 where it is best grown in rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Thrives in hot and humid climates. Tolerates part shade. Also tolerates brief periods of drought. North of Zone 8, it may be grown in containers that are overwintered in sunny windows indoors.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Poliomintha longiflora, commonly called Mexican oregano or rosemary mint, is a bushy perennial that typically grows to 3-4’ tall and as wide in the southwestern U.S., but often shorter in other parts of the U.S. It is native to Mexico. This is a square-stemmed bushy plant clad with smooth, shiny, oblong, aromatic, semi-evergreen leaves (to 1” long). Leaves are typically used as a culinary herb like oregano, but they produce a stronger flavor. Slender lavender-pink tubular flowers bloom in summer and fall.
Genus name comes from the Greek words polios meaning gray and minthe meaning mint.
Specific epithet from Latin means having long flowers.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems.
Uses
Culinary herb for Mexican dishes and pizza. Herb gardens. Containers.