MINT: Why is it everywhere?

At the UC Davis Good Life Garden, our gardener Arlene knows that it is important to keep mint, corralled because before you know it, it's everywhere! The smallest bits, if not completely pulled out by its roots (and there are a LOT of roots) can spawn new plants behind your back!



It smells great and is an important ingredient in a variety of dishes from all over the world, not to mention its beneficial value in aromatherapy at helping to relieve stress and increase energy. Mint also serves as a beautiful, low-growing ground cover, but keep it pruned because, like Arlene mentions in the video below, it has a strong and prolific root system. This is one of the reasons why we have chosen to keep some of our mint in a raised planter bed--we can keep a better eye on those sprawling branches!



It's not just peppermint either! Here our garden supervisor Ed Nordstrom shows us how our spearmint has begun to invade our sage patch. In his opinion, left on its own, the spearmint would cover nearby Interstate 80! Sounds good to me!