Mint is the name of a large family of plants that grow mostly in temperate regions. There are about 3,500 species of mints. Many are highly fragrant. Their leaves are dotted with small glands that contain aromatic oils. The oils are released when the leaves are crushed.

The leaves of all mint plants grow in pairs on opposite sides of the stem, which in most species is distinctly square. Most mint plants have small, white, bluish, or pinkish flowers. In some species, such as lavender and permint, the flowers grow on spikes at the end of the stem. Mint plants usually bear small, roundish fruit that divides into four nut lets when mature.

Mint plants are particularly abundant in the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. Both the leaves and the oil of mints are used as herbs for flavoring in cooking. The leaves may be used either fresh or dried. Popular cooking mints include marjoram, rosemary, and sage. Such mints as white horehound and peppermint add a cool, sharp flavor to candies. Mints also are used in some medicines and perfumes.

Mignonette, is an attractive garden plant of North America and Europe. Its name comes from a French word that means little darling. The mignonette has a low, bushy mass of smooth, soft-green leaves. The tiny flowers grow on tall spikes. The flowers are yellowish-white with reddish pollen stalks inside, and they have a delightful fragrance. Gardeners have produced larger-flowered mignonettes, but they are not as fragrant some cultivated varieties make excellent border plants. The mignonette grows best in a cool temperature and a light soil. It is a hardy plant that may be grown from seed plantings in May and July.

Mistletoe is a plant that grows as a parasite on the trunks and branches of various trees. The American mistletoe and the European mistletoe grow most often on apple trees. They also may grow on other trees, such as the lime, hawthorn, sycamore, poplar, locust, fir, and occasionally on oak. The dwarf mistletoe is a small variety that grows on pines in the Eastern United States.

Mistletoe is an evergreen with leathery, oblong leaves. It has tiny yellow flowers that bloom in February and March. Birds eat the white, shiny fruits called berries. The berry seeds cling to the bills of birds and are scattered when birds sharpen their bills against the bark of trees. The berries may be poisonous to people.

Mistletoe is associated with many traditions and holidays, especially Christmas. Historians say the Druids—ancient priests of the Celts—cut the mistletoe that grew on the sacred oak and gave it to the people for charms. In Teutonic mythology, an arrow of mistletoe killed Balder, son of the goddess Frigg. Early European peoples used mistletoe as a ceremonial plant. The custom of using mistletoe at Christmastime probably comes from this practice. In many countries, tradition says that a person caught standing beneath mistletoe must forfeit a kiss.

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