Patchmates
Sign in
Back

Bushfood

River mint

Mentha australis

A native mint with a fresh spearmint flavour that grows naturally along creeks. It needs moist soil and some shade in Adelaide. Grow it in a pot or a damp corner and cut it back often for fresh growth.

When to plant where you live

Checking your area…

Add river mint to my garden

Planting times for other areas

From seed to plate

  1. Plant

    50 cm apart. Part shade.

  2. Water

    Keep moist.

  3. Feed

    Light feed.

  4. Pick

    Pick leaves.

Good to know

  • Use like garden mint in drinks and cooking
  • Spreads by runners; contain in a pot

Common problems

  • Dries out in summerkeep moist, grow in a pot with a saucer
  • Rustcut back affected stems
  • Leaf scorch in full sunmove to a shadier spot or give afternoon shade
  • Tired, woody potsdivide and repot in fresh mix each year or two

If you use a garden chemical, follow the label exactly. Try organic options first, and ask the community or Plant Doctor if you're unsure.

Ask the garden helper about river mintAny question, answered from the plant libraryHow others are growing river mintQuestions, tips and harvests from the community

Native and wildlife

An Australian native. Plant tube stock in autumn so roots settle in over winter rain.

Safety: Mildly toxic to pets and children (leaves).

Where this information comes from
  • Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia (growing, medium confidence)
  • Plants of South Eastern NSW (Lucidcentral): Mentha australis (identity, medium confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)
  • Australian Native Plants Society (Australia): plant profiles (planting time, medium confidence)
  • Poisons information centre plant guidance (Australia) (toxicity, low confidence)

Reviewed by AI cross-check (Claude), not a horticulturist on 27 Oct 2026. Version 2.