Florida mountainmint, otherwise known as Florida horsemint, is an easy-to-grow drought tolerant perennial. It is fragrant and attracts butterflies to the landscape. It is known botanically as Pycnanthemum floridanum. This plant is a member of the Lamiaceae/Labiatae family. As a native plant to the United States, it will require less water, less maintenance, and provide a food and cover source for many of the native wildlife and insect life.
Florida Mountainmint Description
Growing up to four feet high, this plant forms a loosely-branched shrubby perennial. It will die to the ground come winter and reemerge in the spring. Leaves are two inches long, smell like either camphor or spearmint, and have a whitish bloom. They have square stems like most mint plants. The flowers are lavender and in terminal clusters. It will bloom throughout summer.
Growing Guide for the Florida Mountainmint
This plant prefers to grow in full sun or partial shade. It is indifferent to the type of soil and is drought tolerant. Propagate by root stock division or by seed. The seed will not need to be pretreated prior to sowing into the soil. It is hardy in USDA hardiness zones of 7 through 9.
Landscape Uses for Pycnanthemum floridanum
The Florida mountainmint works well in a butterfly garden and in natural gardens. It can work nicely near a patio or porch where there is partial shade. This lets a nice aroma come through the patio area as well as butterflies.
Distribution
It is found in Florida and in Georgia. It is listed as a threatened species in Florida. If you see any in the wild, please contact your conservation office to list it as a potential site.
Classification
Kingdom -Plantae- Plants
Subkingdom – Tracheobionta- Vascular plants
Superdivision – Spermatophyta- Seed plants
Division -Magnoliophyta- Flowering plants
Class – Magnoliopsida- Dicotyledons
Subclass – Asteridae
Order – Lamiales
Family – Lamiaceae- Mint family
Genus – Pycnanthemum Michx.- mountainmint
Species – Pycnanthemum floridanum E. Grant & Epling- Florida mountainmint
This pretty flower is nice to have in different places around the yard. It also does well next to a mailbox to have the nice aroma and butterflies. Florida mountainmint has everything you’d want in a native plant, with the drought-tolerance and the ability to keep native fauna and insects with food and covering.
Source: Floridata, Florida Mountainmint
http://www.floridata.com/ref/p/pycn_flo.cfm