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Calamintha nepeta - (L.)Savi.

Lesser Calamint

Author	(L.)Savi.	Botanical references	17, 200
Family	Labiatae	Genus	Calamintha
Synonyms	Satureja nepeta - (L.)Scheele.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Europe, including Britain, south from France and S. Russia to N. Africa and to Iran in W. Asia.
Habitat	Dry banks, usually on calcareous soils[17].
Edibility Rating	3 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.6m by 0.75m.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Uses: Condiment; Tea.

The leaves have a strong pennyroyal-like fragrance and are more pungent than calamint (C. sylvatica)[183]. They can be used as a flavouring[183]. A sweet and aromatic herb tea is made from the leaves[200].

Medicinal Uses

Aromatic; Diaphoretic; Expectorant; Febrifuge; Stomachic.

Lesser calamint was commonly used as a medicinal herb in medieval times, though is little used by modern herbalists[238]. It is sometimes cultivated as a medicinal herb for household use. The whole plant is aromatic, diaphoretic, expectorant, febrifuge and stomachic[4, 148]. The leaves are harvested in July as the plant comes into flower and are dried for later use[4]. An infusion is beneficial in cases of flatulent colic and weaknesses of the stomach[4], it is also used to treat depression, insomnia and painful menstruation[238]. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women since in excess it can cause a miscarriage[238].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers a well-drained dry to moist neutral to alkaline soil and a warm sunny position[200, 238]. Plants are hardy to about -15°c[187]. This species is very closely related to C. sylvatica, and is considered to be no more than a sub-species by some botanists[4]. A very good bee plant[187].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. It usually germinates in 2 weeks at 21°c[138]. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and, if they grow sufficiently, plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer otherwise wait until the following spring. Division in spring. Very easy, larger clumps can be planted direct into their permanent positions. It is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are well rooted before planting them out in the summer. Basal cuttings in May or June. They should be rooted in a sandy compost[245]. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10 - 15cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.

Links

Permaculture.info Details of this plant in the Permaculture.info project, a community plant and permaculture database.

References

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[138] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.

[148] Niebuhr. A. D. Herbs of Greece. Herb Society of America. 1970
A pleasant little book about Greek herbs.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

Calamintha nepeta

Sergio Tue Dec 5 2006

Last week ,I have found this plant in the Eolian Islands, where it is used to prepare a tincture, very useful to cure insects punctures

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