Pycnanthemum beadlei

Common Names

Beadle's Mountain Mint

Summary

Beadle’s mountain mint is a tall mint reaching about 4 feet in height with a strong minty fragrance and high attraction to pollinators. Native to thin soils near granitic outcrops in the southern Appalachians, it is not typically found on road banks or forest margins; identification can be aided by smooth undersides on the middle stem leaves; hardy to at least zones 5a–8b.

Two ecotypes have been documented, from Transylvania County, North Carolina, and Greenville County, South Carolina. Its distribution spans West Virginia, southwestern Virginia, northeastern Tennessee, south to southwestern North Carolina, northwestern South Carolina, and northern Georgia. Propagation targets seed production for container plug stock, with seeds harvested from dried flower clusters and stored at about 3.8°C, reaching a well-rooted 6-inch pot in 14–22 weeks. Pre-planting treatments include 60 days of cold moist stratification at 3.8°C, increasing germination by about 10%–32% depending on collection; seeds require light to germinate and are sown into PenPaks with ProMix FPX, kept moist, with bottom heat to 18–24°C soil and 18–26°C daytime temperatures under 16 hours of light. Stratified seeds germinate in 4–5 days (43%–78%), direct-sown seeds in 7–10 days (32.5%–45%). Seedlings are moved to a shaded greenhouse after germination, then potted through successive containers and prepared for out-planting in early July; no hardening is required for mid-summer planting.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

48 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5a-8b

Soil Type

peat-based potting medium

Growth Rate

14-22 weeks

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seed

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees and other Hymenoptera; no mention of hummingbirds, butterflies, or birds