Japanese Mint is grown for its foliage and the structure it brings to a planting. It's hardy across USDA zones 11 through 13 and shrugs off deer. Its spring flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees.
Japanese Mint — the short answer
Japanese Mint: grown in zones 11–13, full sun, pH 4.5–8.3.
- USDA zones
- 11–13
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 4.5–8.3
- FAO ECOCROP
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Frost-kill temperature
- 30.2°F
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Japanese Mint on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether japanese mint actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score japanese mint against your land's real conditions.
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What Japanese Mint is
Japanese Mint grows as a perennial. It blooms white in spring. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Japanese Mint
Japanese Mint grows in USDA zones 11 through 13. Japanese Mint does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.5 to 8.3, on well-drained ground. It needs a growing season of at least 120 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
11-13
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
4.5 - 8.3
FAO ECOCROP
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Kill Temperature
30.2°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
Growable Ground Plant Database
Minimum Growing Temperature
37.4°F
Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.
Growable Ground Plant Database
Frost-Free Days
120+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant japanese mint in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun. It grows in the cool halves of the year, so sow it in spring or late summer rather than waiting for midsummer heat.
Match the soil
Japanese Mint prefers pH 4.5 to 8.3 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Keep it in good form
Prune japanese mint to shape as it grows; the reward is its foliage and structure, not a harvest, so steady upkeep is the whole job.
Where Japanese Mint thrives
Japanese Mint is hardy across USDA zones 11 through 13. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 11–13 spans average winter lows from 40°F to 70°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers none outright but splits 3 down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 11–13·Where Japanese Mint growsOpen map →
Continental US shown — Alaska and US Pacific territories sit outside the federal map's polygon dataset.
Where Japanese Mint stands, state by state
Japanese Mint is rated for zones 11–13 — a cold floor USDA puts at 40 to 50°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 0 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 3 more, and 48 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
The line runs through
3 states
- California · zones 4b-11a
- Florida · zones 8b-12a
- Hawaii · zones 8b-13a
Japanese Mint’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Japanese Mint
Growing guides for japanese mint
In rotation planning, japanese mint counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — japanese mint isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Japanese Mint offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Your land is one point inside Japanese Mint's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Japanese Mint will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether japanese mint actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Japanese Mint
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Japanese Mint in my zone?
Japanese Mint grows in USDA hardiness zones 11 through 13 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Japanese Mint?
Japanese Mint is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Japanese Mint need?
Japanese Mint needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Japanese Mint need?
Japanese Mint prefers soil pH 4.5 to 8.3, on well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Japanese Mint attract pollinators?
Yes — japanese mint's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Is Japanese Mint safe for pets?
Japanese Mint is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)