American wild mint
Study firstBoth are aromatic and bear flower whorls. A full botanical key is essential.
Toxic · do not eat
Pennyroyal.
Mentha pulegium
Also found as Flea mint · Churchwort
An aromatic mint that is harmful if eaten; mint fragrance is not an edibility guarantee.
Sources checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist field review pending
Toxic. Keep out of food and tea.
Poison help The RHS explicitly identifies pennyroyal as non-edible and harmful if eaten.
Where it grows
Tracked records and known growing zone
- Verified records
- 7,160
- People who recorded it
- 4,010
- Most records (northern hemisphere)
- Jul–Sep
- Records span
- 1985–2026
| January | 24 |
|---|---|
| February | 25 |
| March | 52 |
| April | 155 |
| May | 244 |
| June | 845 |
| July | 2151 |
| August | 1560 |
| September | 936 |
| October | 345 |
| November | 113 |
| December | 36 |
| January | 203 |
|---|---|
| February | 170 |
| March | 112 |
| April | 57 |
| May | 17 |
| June | 2 |
| July | 1 |
| August | 3 |
| September | 3 |
| October | 13 |
| November | 16 |
| December | 77 |
Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.
01 / Learn to see
Field marks
- 01
Creeping and upright stems with opposite leaves.
- 02
Small lilac flowers in whorls.
- 03
Strong mint fragrance shared with edible and non-edible relatives.
These are study prompts, not a complete identification key. Confirm the full plant with a regional flora and an experienced local identifier.
02 / Resolve the differences
Look closely. Compare.
Selected comparisons only. Other lookalikes may occur locally.
03 / Meet the place
Habitat & season
Range context
Europe to Iran and Ethiopia in the RHS account; cultivated and introduced elsewhere.
Watch the plant stage
Treat every stage as unsuitable for food gathering.
Stage guidance is not a local forecast. Check your climate, elevation and a regional source; no month-shift formula is used here.
04 / Gather with care
Observe. Leave intact.
Do not make tea, ingest essential oil or use as a home remedy.
Care for the patch
Do not include in a culinary mint bed without clear identification and labeling.
Preparation & storage essentials05 / Follow the evidence
Sources & review
- RHS · PennyroyalBotanical description, range and documented use
Checked 9 September 2026. Original editorial synthesis; source institutions have not reviewed or endorsed this guide. Independent botanical field review is pending. Photos illustrate specimens; they do not certify the identity of a plant you find.
Suggest a correction