Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum)

Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum)

Mountain Mint is one of the single best plants you can grow for pollinators. From mid to late summer, its dense, flattened clusters of small white flowers, often dusted with a hint of purple, buzz with constant activity. Bees, wasps, butterflies, beetles, and beneficial flies flock to it in incredible numbers. Despite the energy it attracts, the plant itself has a calm, structural quality: upright stems, softly toothed green leaves with a cool minty scent, and a tidy, vase-like shape that adds rhythm and repetition to mixed plantings.

In southeastern Wisconsin, Pycnanthemum virginianum grows well in full sun to part shade and tolerates a wide range of soils, all the way from dry to consistently moist. It’s especially well suited tucked between taller perennials where it acts like a natural filler in garden designs. Though it spreads by rhizomes, it does so at a manageable pace—easy to contain, and easy to share if you want more.

Growing Conditions
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Medium to moist soils; tolerant of clay and occasional drought once established
Height: 2–4 feet
Spread: Spreads slowly by rhizome
Zones: 3–8
Bloom time: July through September

Wildlife Value
An absolute powerhouse for pollinators, attracting dozens of native bee species, butterflies, wasps, beetles, and beneficial flies. It’s frequently recommended in habitat plantings and prairie restorations for this reason alone. Its dense stems and foliage also provide cover and shelter for ground-dwelling insects.

Blooms Alongside:
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Rose Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum), White Prairie Clover (Dalea candida), Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya), Stiff Goldenrod (oligoneuron rigidum)