I have a lot of this growing in the flower bed at my new house, and I'd love to know what it is. I didn't notice, until taking the photos, that it has a very nice scent to it when rubbed. It's minty, probably more like spearmint than peppermint. I get mints confused though. Any help is most appreciated!

The leaves and flowers are both very tiny. Most of the leaves are about 1/4 inch, but there are a few larger leaves that are maybe 1/2 inch at the most


The flowers have a tiny amount of purple on them.




Not actually lighter in color than the other pictures. I just used a flash on this one

Looking at the pics, I'd swear it is a Veronica of some type. But, as far as I know, veronica isn't minty.

Thanks Rick. I don't know anything about Veronica, so I don't know if it's minty either. Hopefully someone will be able to put a name on it!

I found some pictures of Corsican mint online last night, and it sure is close, but they all had purple flowers. Anyone know if there is a variety with white flowers with just a little purple? I couldn't find any pictures with white flowers.

I had thought of Corsican mint (Mentha requienii); I use to grow it as an annual here in zone 4, as the seed seemed to jump around in my pots. But it was really tiny; leaves were only 2mm (1/16th inch), flowers even smaller. Now on the web I see it can grow much larger, but I still have strong reservations. The flower, in all its parts are unmistakeably veronica, in my opinion. See how the stamens and sepals are completely different in Mentha requienii? Corsican mint has a very strong smell, like creme de menthe liqueur. If it really has a unmistakeable mint smell, that must be what it is, bu I am very surprised. Mine did look "white" until I look very very close. If it is a mint, than each flower must come directly from the main stem. If it is a veronica, each flower can come directly from the leaf stem too, or flowers can be connected to each other before connecting to the main stem.

Veronica gentianoides for comparison, but not your plant:

Another creeping veronica of mine with chartreuse/yellow leaves for comparison:

Rick, thanks for the great information! I'll examine the plant a little closer tomorrow. It does have a very nice mint smell though, without a doubt. There is nothing else growing next to it that I'm getting the scent confused with. I double checked that, just to make sure. It smells wonderful!

Thanks. I was hinting for you to double check. It must be a mint, then.

Apparently, I can take a hint!

I need to get some better pictures, hopefully tomorrow. I'm worn out today!

Perhaps a creeping thyme?

That was my first thought, and I was hoping that it was. I had several different ones at my house in Utah, and none smelled like mint. They smelled like thyme like they were supposed to. I'm going to break off a piece and see if it still smells like mint after it is dried. If it does, I'd be willing to send some to you so that you can smell it.

deleted.

Veronica (speedwell)

It can't be Veronica if it smells like mint. We've been discussing that possibility, but it's something else. Thanks for the reply though!

Mint scent or not, it looks like Veronica repens. Does it have square stems?

http://www.jeeperscreepersusa....

http://www.progressiveplants.c...

http://loghouseplants.com/plan...

I just checked, and it does have square stems.

check out the description for Creeping Charlie...
http://www.wlssd.com/documents...

nope, not it.
the wikipedia page for the mint family has a list of the genera included. i don't see why there couldn't be a variety of corsican mint with a white flower, though.