# Pennyroyal (*Mentha pulegium*)

Pennyroyal is a small, fragrant plant that smells like mint! It has tiny purple flowers and soft green leaves. This plant is often found in gardens and meadows.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Gardens and meadows
- **Also known as:** Mentha pulegium

![Pennyroyal](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Gardenology.org-IMG_2751_rbgs11jan.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Raffi Kojian, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gardenology.org-IMG_2751_rbgs11jan.jpg)

## Appearance

The Pennyroyal is a low-growing plant with square stems and small, oval, bright green leaves. It produces dense whorls of tiny, delicate pinkish-purple flowers clustered around its stems, giving it a somewhat bushy appearance. When crushed, its foliage releases a distinct, powerful minty aroma.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Lamiales
- **Family:** Lamiaceae
- **Genus:** Mentha

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Romans added pennyroyal to their drinks and food, even wine, for a unique flavor!
- Crush a pennyroyal leaf and you'll unleash a super strong, refreshing minty smell!
- Its name 'pulegium' comes from 'flea' because it was once used to repel tiny pests!
- This plant loves wet feet and often grows near streams and in damp, boggy meadows!

## Special abilities

- **Scent Shield:** Pennyroyal has a strong minty scent that helps it deter hungry animals and pests from munching on its leaves.
- **Spreading Power:** Pennyroyal can rapidly spread its roots and stems, helping it colonize damp areas quickly and effectively.
- **Pollinator Beacon:** Pennyroyal produces dense clusters of tiny flowers that attract many small insects to pollinate it efficiently.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-50 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer to early autumn
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** High
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Attracted to its nectar-rich flowers
- **Pollinates:** White-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus lucorum*) — Visits the small purple blooms for pollen
- **Pollinates:** Painted Lady Butterfly (*Vanessa cardui*) — Feeds on nectar from its abundant flowers

## Traits

- [Herbaceous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbaceous): Herbaceous plants are non-woody plants with soft stems that typically die back to the ground at the end of the growing season.
- [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Spice](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spice): This human use trait indicates species from which spices are derived, used for flavoring, preserving food, or as aromatic agents.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Always ask an adult before touching or smelling plants.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Pennyroyal?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Pennyroyal?

10-50 cm

### How wide does Pennyroyal spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Pennyroyal?

0.2-0.5 cm

### When does Pennyroyal bloom?

Summer to early autumn

### Is Pennyroyal edible?

No

### Is Pennyroyal toxic?

High

### What is Pennyroyal's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Pennyroyal: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pennyroyal)