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Jessie's Sweet Pear Mint-for those who grow this plant, opinions?
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Posted by fledgeling_ 4b SD (My Page) on Mon, Jan 7, 08 at 11:11
| I really like mint, and i had recently eradicated a patch of "chocolate" mint in the garden that I got at walmart a few years back. The plants in the pots on the shelf were variable and none smelled anything like chocolate, and now i suspect they were seed grown. The plant was attractive but inferior in smell and taste. So after a few years i got rid of it...
We dont really use much mint in cooking, but i do enjoy fragrance. Does this mint smell like its namesake, or, at the very least, very good as to be worth planting?
Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Jessie's Sweet Pear Mint-for those who grow this plant, opini
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| The "chocolate" in "chocolate mint" doesn't mean the plant is supposed to taste like chocolate - it refers to the dark color of the plant - it is otherwise a regular peppermint. |
RE: Jessie's Sweet Pear Mint-for those who grow this plant, opini
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| I disagree with Peanuttree - sorry about that PT! I've had a large pot of chocolate mint for many years, and it really does taste like a chocolate peppermint patty - though some people don't get the flavour as much as other people do. For me, it's quite pronounced. Yes, it is derived from peppermint, but it does definitely have that chocolate-flavour overtone to it, and although the leaves are a darker green than spearmint, there's nothing chocolate-coloured about them - it just looks like ordinary peppermint. I also have the true peppermint, and there's nothing chocolate-y about that. I keep my mints well separated to prevent one taking over the other (all are in pots). As often happens with cultivars, it's possible that your chocolate mint has reverted back to the original peppermint, Fledgling. |
RE: Jessie's Sweet Pear Mint-for those who grow this plant, opini
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| No, see i suspect the plant was seed grown because it did not taste like the true peppermint plant either, plus what i was saying is that each plant potted up and sold as that variety at the store was sightly different in aroma (i smelled them all) but i got it anyway, for some reason. That some people d not detect the chocolate i understood, but no one i knew could detect chocolate or peppermint. So it was inferior as i learned it was not the true plant, but a seeding sod as the plant. I want to know if sweet pear mint is good enough to keep and give space to. |
Well...
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| Well... does anyone have this plant? It cant be that common. If not many people grow it, there could be a great novelty factor... if it smells like pears. Does it? I know i sound a bit pushy but i can only get this plant by mail order, and its a mint going in the ground, so i kind of need to know, hehe. |
RE: Jessie's Sweet Pear Mint-for those who grow this plant, opini
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| Just a suggestion for mint buyers. Try to find a nursery that has the mint.Brush it and if possible nibble a tiny bit of the leaf. I have seen the pear mint at several different vendors but only two actually tasted or smelled like pears. My chocolate mint came stolen from a Des Moines IA garden and it is like DaisyDuckworth's mint in that it tastes like peppermint patties. I had purchased several (Chocolate Mints) before finding a reall plant. A warning though some mints are sold only for the scent not for the taste. I do not advise swiping any plant but if you are served a drink with a sprig that has not been badly crushed you can sometime root it. |
RE: Jessie's Sweet Pear Mint-for those who grow this plant, opini
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| This is a Jim Westerfield mint, and so apparently the only place in the US that is licensed to sell it is fragrant fields, and thats too far away from me, but i also assume that they must carry the real thing because they are the only licensed propagator in the U.S. |
RE: Jessie's Sweet Pear Mint-for those who grow this plant, opini
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| Richters also carries the Westerfield mints including the sweet pear. They are a Canadian place. I have had great luck ordering from them and they carry many unusual herb varieties. It is another source for you to check out. FataMorgana |
RE: Jessie's Sweet Pear Mint-for those who grow this plant, opini
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| I would go with Richter's. Fragrant Fields sells mints in horrible, HORRIBLE shape. You can see my review (with pictures) on Garden Watchdog. |
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