Frosted Mint
Poliomintha incana
Family: Lamiaceae
Sprawling shrub with fine, silver, aromatic foliage growing as much as 4’ tall, spreading 6’ or more. Native to very sandy soils. White flowers with lavender specs may appear spring through fall.
Plant in full to part sun. Plant in very well-drained soil. Moderate to low water when established. Cold hardy into the single digits °F.
Photo by Marcus Muench, iNaturalist
Poliomintha incana on SEINET
Flowers nectar-rich and visited by many insects.
Plant used to make tea. Smells very minty. Comanche medicine women chewed the leaves of frosted mint to sweeten the taste of other drugs. The Hopi and Tewa used frosted mint to treat rheumatism and ear trouble. They also used the flowers for flavoring in food preparation
Sandy desert areas from 4000-6000 ft. in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado; south into Chihuahua, Mexico.