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What is the difference between apple mint and mint?

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Plant differences: apple mint has stems that are bluntly four-angled with stripes on them; mint stems are sharply four-angled with four grooves. Leaf differences: apple mint leaves are round or ovate with rounded teeth along the edges; mint leaves are oblong-lanceolate with pointed tips. Flower differences: apple mint has cylindrical spike inflorescences with white, purple or light blue flowers; mint has whorled verticillate inflorescences with white flowers.

1. Plant differences

Apple mint has erect stems, about 30 to 80 cm tall, bluntly four-angled, with stripes on the stems.

Mint has erect stems, about 30 to 60 cm tall, sharply four-angled, with four grooves.

2. Leaf differences

Apple mint leaves are usually sessile, round, ovate or oblong-ovate, 2 to 4.5 cm long and 1.5 to 3 cm wide, with blunt tips and heart-shaped bases, edges with rounded teeth or rounded serrations, papery in texture, green on top and light green underneath, covered with soft hairs.

Mint leaves are oblong-lanceolate, lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate or elliptical, about 3 to 5 cm long and about 0.8 to 3 cm wide, with pointed tips and wedge-shaped or nearly rounded bases, edges with toothed serrations, and green leaf color.

3. Flower differences

Apple mint's whorled verticillate inflorescences cluster at the tips of stems and branches into cylindrical spikes, 2 to 4 cm long and about 6 mm in diameter. The corolla is white, light blue, purple or light purple.

Mint has whorled verticillate inflorescences with an outline close to spherical, about 18 mm in diameter. The flowers are usually white.

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