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Family: Lamiaceae (Mint family)
Mid-Atlantic bloom time:
late June - August
Mid-Atlantic fruit ripe:
September - October
Hoary Mountain-mint is best distinguished by the hoary/whitish appearance of the upper leaves and bracts beneath the tiered flower clusters. It has relatively broad leaves, mostly 1.5–3 times as long as wide. All parts of the plant have a strong, spearmint-like aroma when crushed.
Hoary Mountain-mint has two recognized varieties:
- var. incanum, which has stems with dense, very small downwardly-curved hairs, usually mixed with scattered longer and spreading hairs.
It has a widespread distribution in eastern U.S.
- var. puberulum, which has stems with sparse, coarse, downwardly-curved hairs.
It has a more southern distribution in eastern U.S., mostly from West Virginia and North Carolina south.
The species epithet 'incanum' is Latin meaning 'gray' and refers to the color of the foliage.
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20 August 2014
Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN 
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20 August 2014
Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN 
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20 August 2014
Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN 
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14 July 2019
Front Royal, VA 
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20 August 2014
Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN 
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21 August 2014
Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN 
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10 July 2021
Elizabeth Furnace Recreation Area, George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, Fort Valley, VA 
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