We lost our one-year-old Hummingbird Mint plant to that frigid cold snap last Christmas. A hardy perennial, it didn’t survive that week of artic-like weather. This spring, we immediately searched for and found another and it’s in the ground now.
Fellow gardeners, this is a plant you want to have. Though it attracts both butterflies and hummingbirds, we wanted it near our fishpond to draw in bugs for our frogs. And did it ever. This plant is like a bee magnet. They take numbers to draw nectar from this sweet-smelling plant. I’ve never seen anything like it. If a plant attracts that many pollinators, it’s got to be good for backyard gardens.
The Hummingbird mint is relatively small at about a foot and a half wide and maybe 2 feet tall. It has lovely purple blooms, but the foliage has a licorice scent and is a significant deterrent for both deer and rabbits.
It’s easy to grow in average soil. It can tolerate a little shade but flourishes in full sun. It takes heat and drought, but it didn’t like that extreme cold. Since it was only a yearling, I suspect it needed deeper roots.
May, now, is the time to plant them. Snow’s had some as do most nurseries. Keep it well watered for the first month and you’re good to go.
Plant one soon. You’ll love it.