Plant Library

Other Names:  Australian Mint Bush

Description:

A beautiful upright evergreen shrub with interesting oval leaves with white margins; leaves are pleasantly aromatic; an abundance of small tubular purple flowers in mid-spring; a soft textured shrub that is stunning all season long

Ornamental Features

Variegated Oval Leafed Mint Bush features showy clusters of purple tubular flowers with deep purple throats at the ends of the branches in mid spring. It has attractive green foliage edged in white. The oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Variegated Oval Leafed Mint Bush is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Variegated Oval Leafed Mint Bush is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Variegated Oval Leafed Mint Bush will grow to be about 12 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It has a low canopy, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub performs well in both full sun and full shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Variegated Oval Leafed Mint Bush makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.