For a long time, I wasn’t too interested in culinary herbs like mint. However, via a fellow gardening friend from Green Culture Singapore, my perspective about mint took a dramatic turn and I got hooked to the range of mint cultivars that exist. This is perhaps the first time I am ‘declaring’ my love for this group of edible and very aromatic group of plants.
One of the favourite mints is the pineapple mint. Commonly known via the botanical name Mentha suaveolens ‘Variegata’, pineapple mint features very attractive, oval leaves that are variegated. According to the wonderful book ‘The Encyclopedia of Herbs’ by Tucker and Debaggio, this pretty mint should be botanically named as Mentha suaveolens var. suaveolens.
I got this mint via raising stem-cuttings obtained from material purchased from the supermarket. Fresh stem-cuttings root easily in water. Although called the pineapple mint, the leaves of this mint, when rubbed, do not emit a smell similar in any way to the fruit it was named after. In my opinion, its scent is somewhat sweet and fruity compared to the sharp menthol odour expected from a typical mint plant and this property makes this mint more acceptable to those of us who find the usual mint too strong for the senses.
The soft, furry and wrinkled leaves of this particular mint cultivar are edged with white or cream which makes it a great garnishing material for desserts and ice-cream. Like most variegated plants, the variegation seen on its leaves depends very much on the light conditions it is grown under. Pineapple mint must not be grown under full sunshine in the tropics as an entire day’s worth of exposure to intense sun’s rays has been observed to burn the leaves. It thrives better if given filtered sunshine for half a day. Sufficient light exposure is still essential to reduce the likelihood of etiolation of stems.
Compared to other mints, the pineapple mint is not one of the easier plants to grow. Besides the light factor, its grower has to know that it is not really suitable for growing outdoors without protection from rain. Rainfall in the tropics can be very heavy and all it takes is one very heavy downpour to flatten a colony of this rather fragile mint. Because of its variegation, the pineapple mint is considerably less vigorous compared to other all green mint cultivars. Under good light, the stems of this mint can become quite thick and grows upright. Under dimmer conditions, it is seen to take on a sprawling growth habit.
I prune it often to keep the growth of the plant compact and neat. Grow it in well draining soil that is rich in organic matter and kept moist at all times. Remember to feed it often to promote robust growth. Lastly, never allow a mint to dry out!
