Meehania cordata

Common Names

Meehan's Mint, Heartleaf Meehania, Heart-Leafed Meehania

Summary

Meehania cordata is a stoloniferous, mat-forming perennial in the mint family native to the eastern United States, ranging from western Pennsylvania to North Carolina, Tennessee, and Illinois, forming a dense carpet about 6 inches tall and 12–15 inches wide, with heart-shaped leaves and crenate margins, and in late spring to early summer lavender-blue, hooded, two-lipped flowers rise on short stems above the foliage. In cultivation, it prefers partial to full shade and rich, moist, well-drained soil, though full sun is tolerated if moisture remains consistently high; hardy in USDA zones 4–8. It spreads by stolons to form a low ground cover and is not overly aggressive, making it suitable for native plant and herb gardens and for underplanting shrubs; propagation is easy by stem cuttings, and the plant’s lavender-blue flowers attract pollinators in late spring to early summer.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

3-6 inches

Spread

12-15 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade, tolerates full shade, can tolerate full sun with sufficient moisture

Soil Type

Humus-rich, moist, well-drained loamy soil

Soil Drainage

Moist but well-drained soil

Soil pH

Tolerates all pH levels

Bloom Color

Lavender blue

Bloom Time

Late Spring to Early Summer

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Slow

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Division, Layering

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts hummingbirds, Attracts a variety of pollinating insects