Mentha suaveolens subsp. timija

Atlas Mountain Mint Lamiaceae

This is the mint that arrived from the Atlas Mountains wearing a woolly coat and smelling rather more interesting than your average garden mint. Mentha suaveolens subsp. timija is a Moroccan endemic, forming an upright, strongly rhizomatous plant with rounded, softly hairy, grey-green leaves and dense terminal spikes of tiny pale purple flowers in late summer. 

It is particularly valued in Morocco as an aromatic and medicinal herb, traditionally gathered for infusions and mint tea. Its flavour is quite different from straightforward spearmint: warmer, more resinous and herbaceous, with an intriguing depth that makes it especially good as a tea herb. Studies of wild Moroccan populations show considerable variation in essential-oil chemistry, with menthone, pulegone and related compounds among the principal constituents. 

Importantly, Timija should not be confused with our Mentha spicata ‘Berber Mint’. They are botanically different plants: Berber Mint is a spearmint, whereas Timija belongs to M. suaveolens. Nor should either be confused with the rather loosely applied ‘Moroccan Mint’ found in the nursery trade, a name used for various commercial spearmint selections. Timija is a genuine Moroccan endemic with a distinct botanical and ethnobotanical identity. 

Grow in full sun or partial shade in moist but well-drained soil. Like most mints it spreads enthusiastically, so containment is advisable unless a sizeable aromatic colony is precisely what you have in mind.

Height: 60–90cm
Spread: 100–150cm
Flowering: July–September
Hardiness: H5, approximately -15 to -10°C
Position: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Moist but well-drained; adaptable to most soils
Uses: Herbal tea, culinary and traditional medicinal herb
Distribution: Morocco, endemic
Synonym: Mentha timija Coss. ex Briq