The open plant encyclopedia
Snap a photo or search by any name to see how to care for it, where it comes from, whether it's safe, and a 3D model you can turn.
The plants people record most in your country, and ones that grow there wild.
Filter by what you want to do, shape, origin, country, care and safety.
Cunila origanoides
Also called Frost Mint, Stone Mint, American Dittany, Dittany
Common dittany is a low, shrublike perennial mint native to dry woodlands and rock outcrops in the central and eastern United States, valued for its thyme-scented leaves and late-summer lavender flowers. It thrives in lean, well-drained soil and dry conditions, so overwatering is the main thing to avoid.
Cunila origanoides, with the common names stone mint, frost mint, dittany, and American dittany, is a perennial late-summer-flowering subshrub with small purple flowers that is native to the central and eastern United States. It belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae) and is the only species in the genus Cunila native to the United States. It grows in habitats such as dry forests and the thin soil around rock outcrops. This species has historically been cultivated for use as a medicinal herb, tea, and ornamental plant.
The plant is native in the United States from Texas to the west and south, Illinois and New York to the north, and North Carolina to the east. It is found in dry areas in upland rocky woodlands, rocky slopes and ridges, and semi-shaded areas of sandstone cliffs.
The leaves of C. origanoides, either fresh or dried, have been used for making tea with a pleasant, thyme flavor. The tea can also be used for headaches, colds, and fevers, as well as for inducing menstruation and perspiration. Cunila oil, an essential oil, can be used as an antiseptic, aromatic and stimulant.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cunila origanoides by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
