Peppermint Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Peppermint

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Lamiaceae
Genus:	Mentha
Binomial name
**Mentha × piperita** L.

The Peppermint is a special plant. It's a hybrid, which means it's a mix of two other plants. Peppermint belongs to the mint family. It first grew in Europe, but now people grow and sell it all over the world.

Peppermint is a mix of watermint and spearmint. A scientist named Carl Linnaeus first wrote about peppermint in 1753. He found it in England. Today, scientists mostly agree it's a hybrid plant. Peppermint is also used in some medications.

Growing Peppermint
What Peppermint is Used For
Images for kids
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Growing Peppermint

Peppermint grown in a pot outside a house

Peppermint grows best in wet, shady places. It spreads using underground stems called rhizomes. These rhizomes grow horizontally under the soil.

To grow new plants, young shoots are taken from older plants. They are planted about 1.5 feet (0.45 meters) apart. Peppermint grows quickly if the soil stays moist. It can cover the ground with its runners.

Many people grow peppermint in pots. This helps stop it from spreading too fast in a garden. It needs a good amount of water but not too much. It also likes places with some sun or shade.

The leaves and flowering tops of the plant are used. People collect them when the flowers start to open. Then, they can be dried. Wild peppermint plants are not as good for this. Cultivated plants are grown to have more and better oil.

What Peppermint is Used For

Mint beverage

Fresh or dried peppermint leaves are often used to make peppermint tea. They can also be mixed with other herbs in different herbal teas.

Peppermint adds flavor to many things. These include ice cream, candy, fruit preserves, and drinks. It's also in chewing gum, toothpaste, and some shampoos, soaps, and skin care products.

Peppermint contains something called menthol. Menthol makes your skin and mouth feel cool. This happens because it activates special "cold" sensors in your body. This is why peppermint oil feels cool when you put it on your skin.