Why does nobody talk about invasive mint taking over gardens

I was chatting with an old guy at the nursery last Thursday who runs a native plant restoration project, and he told me something that really stuck. He said that planting mint directly in the ground is like releasing a garden terrorist, and that within two seasons it can choke out everything within a 10 foot radius. I have been growing peppermint in a raised bed for three years and thought I had it contained, but he showed me photos of roots sneaking through tiny cracks in the wood. Now I am worried about the wild violets and ferns I planted nearby that are already looking yellow. Has anyone else had mint escape their pots and take over?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_robert8d ago

Nah, mint's only a problem if you don't enjoy free ground cover.

the_eric7d ago

Watch that stuff creep into your yard and you'll be singing a different tune in a year...