Pycnanthemum x incanum 'Smokey Mountain Mint' (Mountain Mint)

Pycnanthemum x incanum 'Smokey Mountain Mint' also called hoary mountain mint or simply mountain mint, is a compact cultivar of mountain mint noted for its attractive color and consistent, small growth habit. Though considered a hybrid cultivar, 'Smoke Mountain Mint' is the result of a mountain mint breeding program in which two cultivars of Pycnanthemum incanum were bred with one another, producing an end product noted for a compact size of only 2-3' tall and wide, and silver flowers and fuzzy upper leaves that contrast beautiful with dark, purple accented foliage. Since Pycnanthemum incanum can be found in the wild in forested environments, 'Smokey Mountain Mint' thrives in both full sun and partial shade.

Throughout the summer, Pycnanthemum x incanum 'Smokey Mountain Mint' produces small, dense clusters of pinkish white flowers that are attractive to pollinators; flowers bloom atop silvery-white specialized leaves called bracts that help to draw in pollinators and, like other mountain mints, 'Smokey Mountain Mint' is attractive to a wide variety of pollinators. As a member of the mint family, clustered mountain mint produces a strong spearmint odor when its leaves are crushed, and is also capable of spreading via rhizomes and forming small bunches, though it is not as invasive as the true mints.