This well-behaved plant is a favorite of gardeners and bees.

when I first encountered this plant, what caught my attention was not the blooms or fragrant foliage. It was the pollinators. Bees covered the plant as they gathered nectar from the dainty white flowers. Since then, I haven’t seen a plant that attracts pollinators like Calamintha nepeta ‘Montrose White’.

Pollinators aside, this perennial has several features that make it desirable in the garden. Despite being a member of the mint family, it doesn’t spread by runners or seeds, so there are no concerns about invasiveness. ‘Montrose White’ is sterile and remains compact. Its foliage has a pleasant minty aroma.

Its attractive blooms float above the foliage, like baby’s breath (Gypsophilia). In my Wisconsin garden, calamint typically begins blooming in mid-July and continues into October. The white
flowers take on a light purple hue as cool weather arrives in the fall. You can also use them for winter interest before the snow covers them because their structure has an appealing shape,
even when dormant.

Care and Maintenance

An excellent choice for low-maintenance landscapes, ‘Montrose White’ requires only a spring trim. It prefers full sun but will flower in light shade, though it tends to flop in the shade. Calamint isn’t picky about soil but requires good drainage and tolerates drought.

At maturity, this plant is 12-18 inches tall and wide. While labeled as hardy to USDA Zone 4, I’ve seen ‘Montrose White’ grow well in zone 3. In the garden, calamint can be grown in many ways. Consider using it alongside Rudbeckia, Allium and prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) in
naturalistic plantings. Its compact habit looks excellent in front of borders or along walkways. Low retaining walls are good spots for calamint, too, because it provides a softer look. Its drought tolerance makes it good for rock or herb gardens, and it can be grown in containers as well. No plant is 100 percent deer resistant, but this one is close because the minty taste and smell of the foliage are unattractive to deer and rabbits.

‘Montrose White’ has few pest or disease problems, though crown rot can be an issue in poor draining soils.

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2023 edition of Northern Gardener® Magazine.

Matthew Olson is a professional horticulturist and garden writer based in Wisconsin.
mattolsonhorticulture.com