Return to the Herbs Forum | Post a Follow-Up

 o
ID needed, is it an herb?

Posted by valeriannightmares 10? (My Page) on
Sat, Jul 25, 09 at 13:16

I found this growing in my garden and transplanted it into a pot thinking it was mint... it's not. Now I wonder what it is that I am growing.
any idea?
From Plants


Follow-Up Postings:

 o
RE: ID needed, is it an herb?

I can only see a couple of orange dots. Maybe post a different picture?


 o
RE: better picture?

From Plants


 o
RE: ID needed, is it an herb?

You may have Creeping Charlie, Glechoma hederacea, which is in the mint family, but is considered an invasive weed...

Here is a link that might be useful: Creeping Charlie


 o
RE: ID needed, is it an herb?

Not creeping charlie. Look at the stem if it is square the plant is at least in the mint family. Allow to grow a while. Not all mints have a minty smell when they are young.

It does look like a mint I used to have Kentucky Cornal.


 o
RE: ID needed, is it an herb?

It certainly looks like a member of the Labiatae, which includes mints and Glechoma. They all have square stems. It could also be one of the dead nettles (Lamium). Does it smell of anything? If it does have a scent it is not necessarily a mint but if it is scentless it is not a mint.


 o
RE: ID needed, is it an herb?

Sorry to disagree but I have about 10 different types of mint in containers and several, especially my chocolate mint, do not have any mint taste or aroma when they first come up. It may be something with the way I am growing them in pots but until the mint is about 6 inches tall other than the leaves there is nothing to identify it as a mint.


 o
RE: ID needed, is it an herb?

It looks like a young lemon balm to me, which has square stems because it is in the mint family -- it should have a pleasant, lemony type of smell. A perennial that grows in clumps. Useful for flavoring and tea. Will spread throughout the yard. Ours is starting to flower now.


 o
RE: ID needed, is it an herb?

OK maifleur - I bow to your experience. I just thought the plant in the picture looked big enough to have adult characteristics.


 o
RE: ID needed, is it an herb?

Yes, it does have a square stem. And yes, it has a scent... just not a minty one. It smells a little bitter if you rub the leaves. could it have a non minty smell now and get a minty one later?


 o
RE: ID needed, is it an herb?

Young plants are difficult to identify. You'll need to wait for more mature leaves to make a positive id. I must say it does like a Lamium to me at this point. Here's a weed leaf page to compare some leaves....

Weed Leaf pictures

FataMorgana


 o Post a Follow-Up

Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum.

    If you are a member, please log in.

    If you aren't yet a member, join now!


Return to the Herbs Forum

Instructions

  • You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
  • Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
  • After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
  • It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
  • HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
  • No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
  • If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
  • If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.



 
Click here to learn more about in-text links on this page.