Meehania cordata is my latest plant palette addition. I found it over at Avant Gardens and plan to make use of it for floor cowl in a wide range of initiatives. It seems to be a superb substitute for Ajuga and Lamium in shady spots — I plan to make use of it with Ajuga. I believe it can additionally look lovely as an underplanting with golden-leaved hosta and hakonechloa. Alternativley, I’d like to make use of it with hakonechloa however with a hosta accomplice that’s on the blue spectrum. I’m pondering Hosta Halycyon or ‘Blue Cadet’.
About Meehania cordata (aka Meehan’s Mint)
Meehania cordata, generally often called Meehan’s mint, is a captivating and versatile perennial floor cowl. Regardless of its title, it’s not really a part of the mint household however belongs to the Lamiaceae household, which implies it shares related traits, like a stunning minty aroma and spreading behavior.
What’s units Meehan’s mint aside is its means to thrive in shade. It varieties a dense mat of heart-shaped, darkish inexperienced leaves and is dotted with delicate, tubular purple flowers in late spring to early summer season. I’ve seen it confused with creeping charlie – the distinction being that it smells higher, isn’t so aggressive and I believe softer and prettier.
Meehania is native to the jap United States and a very good alternative for naturalizing areas, offering each floor protection and visible curiosity in tricky-to-fill shady spots.
The place to Plant Meehan’s Mint and What to Develop With It
Meehan’s mint completely shines in shady or partially shaded areas, making it excellent for woodland gardens, shaded borders, or beneath bushes and shrubs. It’s an adaptable plant that tolerates a spread of soils, from loamy to barely acidic, but it surely prefers well-drained, moist situations. As soon as established, it’s comparatively low-maintenance and spreads properly with out being overly aggressive—one thing uncommon in a floor cowl!
Pairing Meehan’s mint with different shade-loving crops like hostas, ferns, or astilbes can create a lush, textured look. It additionally works fantastically alongside spring ephemerals like trilliums and Virginia bluebells, which counterpoint its purple blooms and assist fill in backyard beds in these transitional seasons.
Design Concepts and Different Makes use of
Meehan’s mint presents a wealth of design prospects, particularly for creating carpets of coloration and texture in shaded areas. Use it as an understory plant in woodland gardens or as a gentle, low-maintenance filler between bigger crops and shrubs.
It additionally works properly when utilized in mass plantings, offering a pure, relaxed aesthetic.
I really like incorporating it alongside pathways or in-between stepping stones the place its low-growing behavior creates a seamless, flowing inexperienced floor.
Past its visible attraction, Meehan’s mint additionally serves as a pollinator-friendly native plant.
One other surprising use? Think about rising it in containers for a cascading impact, letting it spill over the perimeters to melt exhausting strains. Its easy-care nature and interesting foliage make it an all-around winner for each skilled gardeners and people wanting so as to add some low-maintenance magnificence to their area.
Extra Mints, native crops, and floor cowl concepts:
