Common Names
Pennyroyal, European Pennyroyal

Botanical Name
Mentha pulegium

Plant Family
Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

Native Range
Europe, parts of Africa and Asia.

Life Cycle
Perennial

Hardiness Zone
6-9

Habit
Very aromatic tiny glossy green leaves form low dense mats in spring. Plants grow to 1ft tall and send up leafy stems with flowers arranged in distinctive whorls.

Sun/Soil
Full sun, well-drained soil.

Germination/Sowing
Seeds germinate easily and can be direct sown in fall or spring, or started in flats in the spring and then transplanted out. 

Growing/Care
Pennyroyal is extremely drought tolerant. It can spread like other mints but is less invasive in this way. It does like to self seed.

Harvesting
The aerial parts can be harvested when the plants are in bloom in summer. The plant can be cut to the ground and will regrow.

Culinary Uses
The strong minty flavour of Pennyroyal has culinary potential.

Medicinal Uses
Pennyroyal has strong emmenagogic and diaphoretic properties. It is makes a really nice decongesting tea for colds and flus. It also works as an effective insect repellent when leaves are rubbed on skin or added to other preparations such as infused oils or liniments.

Note that Pennyroyal sometimes has an unworthy bad rap as a 'toxic' herb. This is attributed to the internal use of the essential oil of the herb. The essential oil is concentrated and highly toxic (as the majority of essential oils are) but the whole herb itself is safe for use. As a strong emmenagogue, Pennyroyal is contraindicated in pregnancy.

Themes
Apothecary Garden, Low Maintenance, Drought Tolerant, Deer Resistant, Attracts Pollinators, Container Garden, Cut Flowers.