One thing in my garden that really delights everyone who comes over is my chocolate mint. It smells exactly like an Andes chocolate mint. My guests are always stunned when they take a whiff! 

How to Grow Chocolate Mint

Mint needs very little to thrive. You gotta love a self-sufficient queen! It’s the perfect herb for beginner gardeners to grow because it’s so incredibly easy to care for. You do need to be careful though because in the ground, it can be quite high maintenance.

You’ll need to constantly cut it back after a year or two. The best plan for low-maintenance mint is to grow it in a pot on a patio. One little plant can fill up a huge pot and that way it can’t spread and take over your garden. Just make sure to water it once a week, more in extreme heat.

I actually use mine as a ground cover in one of my courtyard beds so I don’t mind it spreading, but it is a bit tedious to maintain. It’s worth it though for the abundance of this magical Willy Wonka herb!

You really don’t need to do thing for mint. Just plant it in a sunny area with reasonably good soil. It’s hardy in zones 3 through 9 so much of the country can enjoy this beautiful plant.

Appearance

Its leaves are dark green but to me it looks quite a bit different than English Mint or Mojito Mint (both of which I need to write about!), which have fluffier leaves and can grow super tall. Chocolate mint somehow looks tidier. Its leaves are more pointed and less frilly and I find that they grow quite uniform. 

How to Use Chocolate Mint

I have bouquets of chocolate mint all over my house pretty much at all times. Why not? It smells amazing and it’s so pretty! I love tucking it into napkins for a pretty tablescape when I have guests.

I also use it to garnish a lot of desserts to add a special aromatic element. You could also use it in the kitchen in many desserts. Tear the leaves and sprinkle over macerated strawberries and cream, brownies with vanilla ice cream, chocolate tarts, and more. Finally, you could use it to garnish dessert-y drinks, milkshakes, or iced coffee.

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