Pycnanthemum pycnanthemoides, also known as southern mountain mint, is native throughout Georgia, where it thrives in meadows, roadsides, and woodland openings. Reaching 3-6’ tall, it has simple, opposite, lightly toothed leaves that are lanceolate in shape. The upper leaves, as well as the bracts beneath the flowers, are covered in short, curly white hairs. In summer, the plant looks like it has been dusted with powdered sugar.
Southern mountain mint blooms throughout the summer. Beginning in June, each stem is topped by a roughly inch-wide inflorescence of tiny, tightly clustered, irregularly shaped white flowers with pinkish-purple markings. The genus name, Pycnanthemum, comes from the Greek “pyknos” (dense), and “anthos” (flower), in reference to the packed flower heads. Within each head, individual flowers typically do not all open at the same time, but blossom progressively until early September, providing pollen and nectar for myriad insects. It is not unusual to see flower heads covered with native bees, honeybees, wasps, or butterflies. The plant is also beneficial to birds, which feed on the small oval seeds or “nutlets” that appear in autumn.
Pycnanthemum pilosum, or hairy mountain mint, has very similar growing and planting instructions as southern mountain mint. The big difference is that these leaves and stem have a fuzzy texture. Both varieties do best in full sun/part shade.