Elsholtzia stauntonii - Caring Guide

Mint bush

E. stauntonii is an attractive deciduous subshrub from China with mint scented leaves. It can grow up to about 5ft with a rather smaller spread and is therefore a popular plant in a shrub border, aromatic or herb garden. We use it a lot in our border designs.

It is perfectly hardy with us in Cornwall although it is a plant which you must hard prune when dormant down to about 12-18in on all its stems to encourage vigorous strong new growth and more flowers in the next season. Like all ‘mints’ it needs a good tidy up.

The leaves are toothed and lance shaped with an ovate or elliptic shape. From August on into autumn it produces terminal panicles or racemes – 4-8in long of small purple-pink flowers which are attractive to late season butterflies. The leaves turn a fine red in the autumn.

This is a plant for full sun and propagation is easiest from softwood cuttings set in summer.

• ELSHOLTZIA stauntonii