Botanical Name: Mentha Spicata Plant Family: Lamiaceae Origins: United States
A hardy mint with bright green serrated leaves, spearmint has been a staple medicinal herb for millennia. Indigenous to the Mediterranean countries in its genesis, it is now common in many parts of the world. Circa the fourteenth century, people began using spearmint to whitening teeth. Today, its distilled oil is still used to flavor toothpaste and chewing gum, second only to peppermint.