Pycnanthemum incanum
A clump-forming mint-family perennial native to the eastern United States, drought-tolerant and about 3–4 ft tall, with broad-ovate leaves, aromatic foliage, white to lavender-pink flower clusters, and a strong mint fragrance when brushed that attracts butterflies and bees.
Common Names
Hoary Mountain Mint, Mountain Mint, Silverleaf Mountain Mint
Summary
Hoary Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum incanum) is a herbaceous perennial in the mint family native to the eastern United States, growing about 2–4 feet tall and 2–4 feet wide with gray-silver, hoary foliage and dense clusters of white to lavender flowers from midsummer to early fall. Spreading by creeping rhizomes, it can naturalize and may be aggressive; regular division every 3–5 years helps manage spread.
It is highly attractive to pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and moths, and is deer resistant; it tolerates full sun to part shade and a range of dry to moist, well-drained soils, making it suitable for native plant gardens, wildflower meadows, erosion control, and habitat plantings.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
2-3 feet
Spread
3-4 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 4-8
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally Full Sun. Tolerates Partial Sun to Partial Shade.
Soil Type
Dry, well-drained soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Soil pH
6.0-7.5, Mildly acidic to mildly alkaline soils
Bloom Color
White, often with purple markings
Bloom Time
Summer
Foliage Color
Silvery
Fall Foliage Color
Silvery
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Fast
Seasons of Interest
Summer and Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (L.) Michx.
- Publication
- Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 7 (1803)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Lamiales
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Genus
- Pycnanthemum
Inferior Taxa
Pycnanthemum incanum var. incanum Pycnanthemum incanum var. puberulum