This 40-acre native prairie remnant is owned by the Missouri Prairie Foundation and is jointly managed with the Conservation Department.
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Name
Edible
Scientific Name
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
Family
Lamiaceae (mints)
Description
A much-branched perennial with smooth, square stems. Flowers in dense, half-round heads, minute, white or sometimes very light lavender with purple spots, with long, nearly linear bracts below the heads and very short bracts subtending the flowers. Upper lip not lobed; lower lip with 3 distinct lobes. Blooms June–September. Leaves many, opposite, linear, almost needlelike, commonly about 1½–2 inches long and not more than ¼ inch wide. All parts of the plant have a strong mint scent; some say it smells like sage.
Similar species: There are 6 species of mountain mints (genus Pycnanthemum) recorded in Missouri. Hairy mountain mint (P. pilosum) is quite hairy and its leaves are wider, with hair on the underside. It occurs in the same habitat. Common mountain mint (P. virginianum) has hairs on the stem angles and has leaves that are more than ¼ inch wide. It is more common in moist or wet areas.
Size
Height: to 3 feet.
Where To Find
Statewide.
Habitat and Conservation
Despite its name, this plant usually occurs in dry, open rocky woods, dry prairies and fields, along roadsides, streamsides, and in open, wet thickets.
Human Connections
This species makes an interesting addition to the herb garden and can be used for seasoning food. It can be used for other landscaping uses, too, though it can be an aggressive grower. Native Americans used the plant medicinally and for baiting mink traps.
Ecosystem Connections
A long list of insects are attracted to the flowers: bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, skippers, beetles, and bugs. Oddly, the minty taste that makes the plant attractive to humans is a turnoff to herbivorous mammals, which generally leave this plant alone.
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Credit
Chris Evans, Illinois Wildlife Action Plan, Bugwood.org
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Similar Species
Similar Species
Where to See Species
This 655-acre native prairie was purchased from Vaughn Lumpee in 1987. Mr. Lumpee ran a cattle operation on this area and he had a great fondness for the cowboy lifestyle.
About Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants in Missouri
A very simple way of thinking about the green world is to divide the vascular plants into two groups: woody and nonwoody (or herbaceous). But this is an artificial division; many plant families include some species that are woody and some that are not. The diversity of nonwoody vascular plants is staggering! Think of all the ferns, grasses, sedges, lilies, peas, sunflowers, nightshades, milkweeds, mustards, mints, and mallows — weeds and wildflowers — and many more!