Purple Mint Leaves

Welcome to this article about mint leaves turning purple. This can be caused by a few different things that we will discuss further down below. But to keep it short, the reason for a mint plant turning purple is because of a lack of phosphorus. 

This is caused by lack of nutrients essentially. So replenishing the soil again will most likely fix this issue. Mint is thankfully a pretty hardy plant that can manage a lot of different conditions.

Having it grow in the best possible place is very important and here we will talk about just that. Generally speaking a sunny spot in the garden with a great water drainage will be the perfect environment for mint.

Purple Mint Leaves

Like we said in the beginning of this article here, the reason for a mint plant or the leaves of it turning purple is the lack of something called phosphorus. This is caused by the soil being lacking nutrients.

But fortunately there is a pretty easy way of fixing this. We like to fertilize the soil again in case we ever see this. But if you already are doing this regularly then you might even see the mint plant leaves turning purple. 

We always recommend using an organic fertilizer as this will have the smallest harm to the plant. It will in the long term be the best for the soil as well. But if you have the option to use some organic manure then go for that. Just note that it will smell quite a bit, but will be heaven for the soil.

Keeping the mint in a good spot in the garden will also have a great impact on the color of the plant. Having it in the sunny spot of the garden and regularly water the soil will keep it happy and thriving too.

Is your mint plant starting to wilt and you want to save it? In this article right here we will discuss this problem even further and give some tips and tricks. Find it here, How To Save My Mint Plant.

Which Mint Has Purple Leaves

There are actually a number of different mint varieties that can be growing purple leaves. Some of the most common ones will be shiso. Not the same name as mint and you might not think they are related. But they are actually grouped up in the same family. 

Another mint variety that can grow purple is one called bergamot. This might be a more common one and you have heard about it before. It will during the season grow slightly orange in the color but at the end it will turn into a more purple hue.

Both of these varieties are delicious and very fragrant. Some favorites for us for sure. They will grow very similar to regular peppermint. Make sure they are in a sunny spot where the soil is healthy and the water that you give the plant has room to drain away. That means that the soil should not be too compact.

Do you want to have a lawn smelling like mint? In this article right here we will be talking about just that. Find it here, Grass That Smells Like Mint.

Is Purple Mint Edible

Purple mint on a normal peppermint one won’t be very tasty. It will most likely have lost all the flavor being that it has turned purple. The lack of nutrients will have a pretty direct impact on the flavor of the herb.

But for varieties like shiso and bergamot they are entirely edible and very tasty as well. They will actually grow and have a purple color to them naturally.

We like to use these just like regular peppermint. They are perfect on a summer salad to freshen things up more. We also like to make tea from them as they have even more fragrance to develop if you go this way.