Orange Mint ('Eau de Cologne')

'Eau de Cologne,’ also called Orange Mint or Bergamot Mint, is a vigorous perennial mint prized for its distinctive citrus and bergamot-scented foliage, with a highly aromatic, perfumed fragrance quite different from traditional peppermint. The edible leaves can be used fresh or dried to flavour teas, beverages, desserts and other culinary preparations. Pale purple flowers appear in summer and attract bees and other pollinating insects.

Plants grow best in full sun to partial shade and prefer consistently moist soil, although they are adaptable to a range of growing conditions. Like many mints, 'Eau de Cologne' spreads vigorously by underground rhizomes and can form large patches, so it is best planted where its spread can be contained or where naturalizing is desirable.

'Eau de Cologne' is sterile and does not require cross-pollination, reproducing instead through its spreading rhizomes. Its unique fragrance and edible foliage make it an excellent addition to herb gardens, edible landscapes and pollinator plantings.

Common names: Eau de Cologne Mint, Orange Mint, Bergamot Mint, Lemon Mint (but not Lemon Balm)

Edible: Leaves, flowers, stems
Harvest timing: Leaves can be harvested throughout the growing season, but have the strongest fragrance and flavour just before the plant begins flowering.

Scientific name: Mentha × piperita f. citrata 'Eau de Cologne'
Light requirements: Full sun to part shade
Full-grown size: 1-2 feet tall and wide
Hardiness: Zone 5
Pollination: Sterile - will not produce viable seeds, so does not require cross-pollination. Spreads vegetatively by underground rhizomes.
Wildlife: Purple flowers are very attractive to bees and other pollinators. 
Origin: Old cultivated European mint; exact cultivar origin uncertain.
Noteworthy: Exceptionally fragrant citrus/bergamot-scented foliage.