Calament, Calamintha: planting, care and harvesting

Description and botany

Calamintha, also called Calament is an aromatic perennial, belonging to large family Lamiaceae, a cousin of mint, sage, nepeta and lemon balm. It grows wild in open woodlands, sunny fallow, meadows and garrigues of southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Fewer than ten species are recognised, including Calamintha grandiflora or large-flowered calament, Calamintha sylvatica or Calamintha officinalis, the “true” calament also called wood savory, or Clinopodium nepeta subsp. sylvaticum, Calamintha nepeta, small calament, or glandulous Calament. Each species has given rise to cultivars with differing flower colours.

This small rootstock-forming plant forms a tuft often creeping with a bushy habit and very ramified, 30 to 80 cm high, spreading slowly in all directions via its running rootstocks but without invasive character of close relative garden mint.

In spring, soft, square-section stems emerge in a small cushion of deciduous to semi-evergreen leaves depending on climate. Shortly petiolate, they are arranged two by two on stems, opposite, ovate to oblong with slightly dentate margins. Glossy or villous, depending on species, puckered with prominent veins, they measure up to 5 cm long. They are pale green to grey-green and become cream-coloured in variegated varieties (Calamintha grandiflora ‘Variegata’). They closely resemble mint leaves and are aromatic and perfectly edible. When crushed, they release a spicy, lemony flavour between mint and marjoram.

Calamintha officinalis – botanical illustration

On this bushy foliage, flowers appear in a light, scented cloud in axil of upper leaves from June through end of summer, borne at stem tips. They are arranged in racemes and gathered in loose clusters all turned to same side, carried on a common peduncle.

Tubular in shape, they open into a two-lipped corolla 2 to 8 cm long. Calamintha grandiflora has slightly larger flowers (7–8 cm) than other species. These numerous small tubular, bell-shaped flowers open in soft or vivid hues, ranging from bright carmine-pink to purple, lavender or pure white.

These delicate spikes of 25 to 35 mm long, particularly nectariferous and melliferous, give off a very refreshing mentholated scent that irresistibly attracts bees and butterflies.

After flowering, flowers turn into small fruits containing very numerous seeds.

Very hardy down to -15 to -20°C, Calament establishes across France. It grows easily in sun, in any well-drained soil, even calcareous and stony.

Versatile, Calamintha will grow as a specimen, at edge of a wild-looking border or path, and of course in an herb garden.

Whole plant is aromatic, giving off scent of mint, lemon, pepper and lavender. In cooking, leaves can replace mint and are used in a culinary herb blend (za’atar) with oregano and thyme widely used in the Middle East. This aromatic will flavour tisanes, infusions, drinks and even peaches in syrup. It also has many therapeutic, digestive and calming virtues and is known to relieve migraines and painful periods.

Main species and varieties

Most popular

Our favourites

Calamintha grandiflora - Calamint

It's the only one of its genus to have such large flowers! Use it either as a solitary specimen, or to edge an avenue or path, or in a flower bed.

• Flowering time July to September
• Height at maturity 50 cm

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Calamintha grandiflora Variegata - Calamint

This cultivar is noted for its pale green foliage splashed with cream and its exquisite pink bell-shaped flowers. Wonderful at the front of borders or in a rockery.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 30 cm

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Calamintha nepeta - Calamint

It forms a beautiful, bushy, regular clump covered with a multitude of pale pinkish-white flowers. Ideal in a large rockery.

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 40 cm

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Calamintha nepeta Weisse Riese - Calamint

These small white flowers form a mist over attractive aromatic foliage. Equally lovely in borders, on a dry-stone wall, or in containers.

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 40 cm

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Calamintha sylvatica Menthe - Calamint

It gives off a heady scent of peppermint and lavender. It will be at its best in a large rockery, a scree garden, on paving, or on a sunny slope.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 40 cm

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Planting

Where to plant calamint?

The Calamintha or calamint grows across all regions, easily withstanding cold down to -15°C to -20°C. This perennial from the Mediterranean rim needs a sunny position even though it tolerates partial shade and dry shade beneath trees and bushes.

Undemanding, it adapts to any soil, even poor or stony, preferring dry, sandy or calcareous soil but will tolerate richer, fresher soil only if well drained. Ground that is too compact and wet in winter may cause roots to rot.

Provide a spot where it can freely spread its suckering stems. It can be used to cover soil.

It grows in bushy clumps in wild areas of the garden and is equally at ease in a wooded garden.

It is ideal in natural or wild gardens, along a path so it scents the air when brushed, to flower the edge of a path, or to lighten summer borders. It is also useful to cover the base of rose bushes or in light woodland. As it tolerates poor soils and relative drought, it can also be planted in a large rockery or a mineral garden, or to cover a well-exposed slope.

It naturally finds its place in herb garden where its scent attracts pollinators.

When to plant?

Planting calamint is done in spring, preferably February to April in regions with cold, wet winters, as roots may rot if planted in autumn. Alternatively, plant in autumn from September to November, after frosts and outside periods of high heat.

How to plant?

For group planting: plant calamints at 5 young plants per m2 and space about 50 cm between plants to create an attractive massing effect.

• Loosen soil well to break it up and remove weeds
• Dig a hole 2 to 3 times the volume of the rootball
• In heavy soil, improve drainage if necessary with gravel or coarse sand
• Place the young plant in the hole and backfill with garden soil
• Water
• Discover more planting tips – How to plant perennials?

Calamintha nepeta

Care: watering, pruning, harvest

Calamint is an easy plant that requires little maintenance. It tolerates drought and cold. Whilst it tolerates soil dried out by tree roots, give it regular watering during first year. Afterwards, water only in case of prolonged drought, bearing in mind that flowering may be reduced during hot, very dry summers.

Remove faded flowers regularly to encourage further flowering.

When flowering has finished, in autumn or late winter, cut back clump by about one third and remove all dry stems: leave cut foliage on stump to protect it throughout winter.

Divide clumps every 4 to 5 years to rejuvenate plant.

Calamintha harvest

As the leaves of the Calamint are aromatic and have stimulating and sedative medicinal properties, feel free to harvest them as needed! Do this in June or July, just before flowering. You can use them fresh to flavour dishes and desserts, or dry them and then store them for use in herbal teas and infusions.

Possible diseases and pests

Regarding diseases, the Calament is a hardy plant that is really only susceptible to powdery mildew. This fungal disease is recognised by a white, powdery coating appearing on foliage. Remove affected parts, water without wetting foliage, and spray with a horsetail decoction.

At the start of the growing season, protect it from slug attacks with our 7 ways to fight slugs effectively and naturally.

Multiplication

Calamint is easy to propagate from seeds harvested in autumn in garden. Propagation by cuttings is also possible. Dividing clumps in spring on plant at least 2 years old helps to make plant perennial.

By sowing

Sowing Calamint is done in spring in a heated greenhouse. Follow our advice to succeed in sowing perennial plants!

By dividing clumps

This is carried out on clumps mature at least 2 years old.

• Using a garden fork, lift the clump
• With a spade, take a good-sized division containing suckers
• Replant in a pot until offshoots are well rooted before planting them in garden

Associate

With its unassuming appearance, Calamintha easily finds its place in all natural and wild gardens, in romantic beds of cottage gardens, sunny rockeries and Mediterranean slopes, clear woodland edges as in naturalistic prairies and, of course, in a herb garden.

A naturalistic pairing idea for well‑drained soil: Eryngium ‘Jos Eijking’, Stipa tenuifolia, Sedum ‘Herbstfreude’, Calamagrostis acutiflora ‘Karl Förster’, Coreopsis ‘Full Moon Madness’, Calamintha nepeta and Verbascum phlomoides ‘Spica’

Its softly coloured flowering makes it indispensable in scenes of romantic inspiration, to accompany delicacy of roses, and its foliage can hide bases of shrub roses that are often bare. It combines well with clematis, Campanula lactiflora, and with light flowering of astrance and gypsophila.

Varieties with violet or blue flowers will provide striking contrasts with yellow‑flowered plants such as Achillea ‘Terracotta’, Coreopsis or rudbeckias.

Calamintha’s airy flowering pairs perfectly with silver foliage of Stachys byzantina and Stachys lanata, some Artemisia, mouse‑ear plants, Dianthus plumarius and rose campion.

An example of a romantic combination: Rose ‘Gertrude Jekyll’, Calamintha grandiflora, Salvia nemorosa (‘Mainacht’ for example), Phlox carolina ‘Bill Baker’ and Campanula poscharskyana ‘Stella’

In a wild‑looking border, it will keep company with Achilleas, Salvia, hardy geraniums, agastaches and Phlox paniculata. Dot with a few small clumps of ornamental grasses (Stipa tenuissima and pennata, Carex, Briza media…).

Plant it at front of a border beneath taller perennials that will provide structure and height, such as mulleins (Verbascum) or shrubby salvias, at base of long upright flower spikes of foxgloves, Veronicastrum, or large‑flowered dahlias, purple echinaceas and alliums.

As it enjoys full sun and well‑drained soil, it also fits perfectly into a Mediterranean‑inspired garden, a dry, mineral‑dominated planting, where it can sit alongside lavenders, dry‑site euphorbias and eryngiums.

In a rockery, it will accompany dwarf Artemisia, erigeron, Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, armerias, thyme or trailing rosemary, carnations, moss phlox, and Campanula muralis.