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Mentha cervina
Also called Hart's Pennyroyal
Water spearmint (Mentha cervina), also called hart's pennyroyal, is a small, aromatic perennial mint native to wet ground and shallow water in the western Mediterranean. It is grown mainly as a wetland or pond-margin herb and spreads by rhizomes rather than seed.
Mentha cervina, commonly known as hart's pennyroyal, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Mentha (mint) genus. It is native to the western Mediterranean Sea region, growing naturally from southwestern France to the Iberian Peninsula, and south to Azores, Morocco and Algeria. Its common name reflects a traditional association with the separate species Mentha pulegium or pennyroyal. The plants were associated due to their shared high pulegone content, which gives them both a distinctive, strong aroma.
A sprawling herb growing up to 30 cm tall, Mentha cervina has been used both whole and as its essential oil in a variety of culinary and traditional medical contexts. More recently, research has examined its constituent chemicals' potential antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal abilities.
Mentha cervina's contemporary distribution is confined to the western Mediterranean Sea, in the countries of Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Algeria and six southwestern departments of France. It occupies a range of damp land to water (up to 60 cm deep), and overwinters underwater in its native habitat. It is recognized as a central component of the Menthion cervinae alliance. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, it is suffering "severe and rapid declines throughout its range" and is therefore assessed as a Near Threatened species on its IUCN Red List. Its risk is considered particularly high due to its limited original habitat range.
In his Natural History, Pliny the Elder describes a plant "Polyenemon," with a "seed like that of pennyroyal" and a "pleasant though pungent smell." This plant, "chewed and applied to wounds inflicted with iron" was identified with Mentha cervina by Pierre Desfontaines. An 1895 reference for druggists recommended Mentha cervina for its value both as an "aromatic" and a "nauseant."
Mentha alaica · Water mint · Wild mint · Mentha longifolia var. asiatica · Mentha atrolilacina · Australian Mint · American Corn Mint · Carinthian Mint · Eau de Cologne mint · Hioi · Dahurian Thyme · Mentha darvasica
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Mentha cervina 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.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
