Kentucky Colonel

Family: Lamiaceae Herb

A cool, bright rush of spearmint—crisp as crushed leaves—rises from Kentucky Colonel with a distinctly clean, green lift.

The foliage is tender and richly aromatic, forming a dense, upright clump that’s wonderfully fragrant fresh and especially prized for infusing and flavoring throughout the season. Grow Kentucky Colonel for a dependable perennial mint that keeps coming back with vigor, offering a steady harvest of fragrant leaves for teas, syrups, and refreshing flavor accents.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 60 DaysHabit: Upright

Botanical illustration of Kentucky Colonel

Planting schedules and alerts are optimized for Columbus (Zone 6b).

Crop Dates

Milestone	Date
Start Indoors	Mar 14th
Last Frost	Apr 25th
Transplant / Sow Outdoors	Apr 25th
Harvest Begins	Jun 24th
Harvest Ends	Oct 16th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	60
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Upright
Support Needed	None
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	70
Min Soil Temp (°F)	40
Min Night Temp (°F)	35
Harden Off (days)	7

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Kentucky Colonel spearmint is the kind of mint that smells like a cold glass even before it hits your tongue—crush it and you’ll get that clean, menthol-green rush. Use it fresh or as a short steep/infusion so the volatile aroma stays sharp rather than turning dull.

Best Uses

freshly crushed over fruit and summer drinks
steeped for tea or muddled into lemonade and sodas
made into quick mint syrup for cocktails and yogurt
folded into herb salads where it stays fragrant, not swampy

Flavor Profile

bright spearmint menthol lift crisp, green-cooling aroma tender leaf texture when bruised clean finish with a light sweetness

Kitchen Pairings

lime honey Greek yogurt cucumber feta dark rum

Frequently Asked Questions

What pest or disease most commonly affects Mentha spicata (spearmint) and how can I manage it at home?

Spearmint commonly suffers from mint rust (orange/brown pustules on leaves) and fungal spotting when leaves stay wet. Water at the soil line in the morning, improve airflow by thinning dense growth, and remove infected leaves early; for persistent rust, use a labeled fungicide for ornamentals/herbs and repeat per label instructions.

How often should I water Mentha spicata during its main growing phase to keep soil moisture right?

During active growth, keep the top 1 inch of soil consistently evenly moist but not waterlogged; this mint is happiest with steady moisture under full sun. In hot weather this usually means watering about 1–2 times per week, more often if the soil dries quickly—always water thoroughly, then let the surface start to dry slightly before the next watering.

How do I know when Kentucky Colonel spearmint (Mentha spicata) is ready to harvest at around 60 days?

Start harvesting when plants reach a productive size—typically around day 50–60—and have multiple sets of healthy, fully expanded leaves on strong stems. Snip stems just above a leaf pair to encourage branching; the best flavor comes from harvesting before the mint sends up heavy flowering spikes (early growth is usually most aromatic).