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A wide variety of plants growing in the Medieval Herb Garden on a sunny day

Medieval herb garden blog 94: Lesser calamint

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Week 94 volunteer update

Unfortunately, the poor weather meant our volunteers were unable to work on the garden as usual on Monday.

With a slightly more hopeful forecast for the rest of the week (luckily for us due to half term fun starting at the Castle on Wednesday), the team will hope to catch up on jobs later on!

Plant of the week: Lesser calamint (clinopodium nepeta formerly calamintha nepeta)

'Clinopodium' comes from the Greek word 'klinopodion' meaning 'like a bed's foot'. ('Klino' meaning 'slope, recline, or bed'; 'podos' meaning 'foot'). 'Nepeta' comes from the ancient Etrurian city of Nepete, (or Nepet), now the modern town of Nepi, where the plant was found growing.

'Calamintha' combines the Greek 'kalos' meaning 'beautiful' and 'minthe' meaning 'mint' to form kalaminthē. This was anglicised to calamint via the French calamint.

'Lesser' is from Middle English and is used to separate this smaller plant from larger or 'common' related species. Its other names are mill mountain, mountain balm, basil thyme and mountain mint.

Native to Great Britain (though rarely seen) and Europe, lesser calamint is an aromatic, compact, bushy, perennial plant. It prefers to grow in full sun, in a west or south-facing position, in well-drained, alkaline or neutral, non-clay-based soil. It grows to a height and spread of 18 inches (46 cm).

The foliage of lesser calamint consists of small, oppositely arranged, oval to ovate leaves. The leaves typically measure about 0.4 to 1.2 inches (1 to 3 cm) long and 0.2 to 0.6 inches (0.5 to 1.5 cm) wide. They are bright to greyish-green, short-stalked, and have a slightly hairy surface. The leaf edges are finely toothed or crenate, with rounded to slightly pointed tips. The foliage appears densely on slender, branching stems, giving the plant a compact, bushy appearance. When crushed, the leaves produce an aromatic, mint-like fragrance.

Lesser calamint flowers between June and September. Its flowers are small, two-lipped and tubular. They appear in clusters or small groups in the leaf axils along the upper stems. The flowers are approximately 0.4 to 0.6 inches (1 to 1.5 cm) long. They are typically pale pink to lilac or light purple, sometimes with darker markings on the lower lip.

The roots of lesser calamint are relatively fine and fibrous, arising from a slender, branching underground base. Individual roots are generally very thin, usually less than 0.1 inch (0.25 cm) in diameter, and extend through the upper layers of soil. The roots are pale brown to whitish when young, becoming darker with age.

The seeds are very small, dry and nut-like, as is typical of the mint family. Individual seeds are approximately 0.05–0.1 inches long. They are generally brown to dark brown when mature.

Lesser calamint growing in the Medieval Herb Garden.

Culinary uses of lesser calamint

Lesser calamint has a 'fresh, minty, slightly peppery, oregano-like and mildly bitter' flavour. Its young leaves can be chopped and used to flavour soups, stews, vegetables and savoury dishes. It can be used in small quantities with meat, fish and poultry, or can be added to sauces, marinades and salad dressings.

Fresh or dried leaves can be infused to make an aromatic, mint-like 'tea'. Young leaves and flowering shoots can also be used as an aromatic garnish.

However, lesser calamint contains pulegone which can be toxic at sufficiently high doses.

Use of lesser calamint as a dye plant

Lesser calamint produces pale yellow-green, yellowish-brown or muted greenish shades.

Folklore and other facts about lesser calamint

Ancient Greeks and Romans loved lesser calamint for its aromatic properties. They believed that planting it around the home would bring peace. It was also carried in small pouches to ward off evil spirits, harmful enchantments, and the 'evil eye'.

It was believed that its strong aroma acted as a spiritual barrier, especially when placed near doorways or windows.

In parts of the Balkans, bundles of dried calamint would be placed under a pillow or near a sleeping person. This was thought to promote peaceful sleep and prevent nightmares. It is also said to soothe anxious thoughts and emotional distress.

Medieval medicinal uses of lesser calamint*

Historically, lesser calamint was used to relieve indigestion, flatulence, bloating, stomach aches and cramps.

It was also used for coughs, catarrh and respiratory complaints, fevers, jaundice, worms and leprosy. It was sometimes seen as a stimulating general tonic or restorative herb. Some used it for delayed or painful menstruation.

Nicholas Culpepper in 1658 believed that 'the juice [of lesser calamint] being dropped into the ears, killeth the worms in them.'

*Needless to say, this isn't to be considered medical advice from us to you today! No herbs mentioned in these blogs should be used as medicine without advice from a doctor.

Medieval herb garden blogs

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