This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Lemon mint is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
| Lemon mint | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Monarda citriodora Cerv. ex Lag. |
Lemon mint (Monarda citriodora), also called purple horse mint or lemon beebalm, is, as the names imply, a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), which has a citrus smell when crushed, reminiscent of the fruit of the actual lemon plant, and which has purple flowers that prove irresistible to both bees and hummingbirds. Sometimes, especially late in the season, the odor is described as resembling oregano more than lemon.
This widespread plant grows in prairies, roadsides and other sunny habitats from California to Florida, and from Nebraska to Texas. It prefers soils with a high percentage of clay, such as the vertisols and mollisols typical of tallgrass prairies, where it sometimes forms impressive blankets of summer flowers.
Most recipes bearing the name "lemon mint" actually use spearmint and the juice or other components of the actual fruit of the lemon plant rather than this plant. However, lemon mint is occasionally used in herbal teas.
 |
This Lamiaceae article is a stub. Please help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This drink-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 29 September 2008, at 11:45.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Lemon mint".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.