Hoary mountainmint
StarPycnanthemum incanum
Synonyms: Koellia incana
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Hoary mountainmint had extensive medicinal use among southeastern Native American peoples including the Cherokee, Koasati and Choctaw, who employed it as an analgesic, for stomach and digestive complaints, for colds, fevers and headaches, as a stimulant and heart medicine, for skin conditions, to stop bleeding, and as a general remedy; the aromatic plant was also used as a food flavoring (Moerman, NAEB). Adopted into Southern Appalachian settler herbalism, the leaves and flowering tops continue to be brewed as a fragrant minty tea valued as a carminative for the stomach and as a warming diaphoretic for colds and fevers.
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Botanical Description
Pycnanthemum incanum, commonly known as hoary mountainmint or silverleaf mountainmint, is an aromatic perennial herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae) native to eastern North America. It grows erect, usually 0.6 to 1.2 metres tall, with the square, branching stems characteristic of the mint family and opposite, ovate to lance-shaped, toothed leaves. The uppermost leaves and the bracts surrounding the flower clusters are conspicuously coated with fine white hairs, giving the plant a frosted or hoary appearance and its common name. From mid to late summer it bears dense, head-like clusters of small, two-lipped, white to pale lavender flowers spotted with purple, which are highly attractive to bees, wasps, butterflies and other pollinators. The whole plant releases a strong, minty, spearmint-like fragrance when crushed. It grows in dry open woods, woodland borders, clearings, slopes and old fields, particularly in the Appalachian region.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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