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Overview
Vietnamese Mint or Persicaria odorata is famous as a key ingredient of Vietnamese cooking, though it is not a member of the Mint family (Lamiacea).
It is a vigorous, perennial herb that is best suited to tropical or warm and humid sub tropical climates, though does grow fairly easily too across the South East of Australia.
It has green topsides to its pointed aromatic leaves with burgundy on the undersides - sometimes this shows through on the upper surface as darker blotches.
In tropical climates it will produce small pink flowers on stalks in spring and summer, though flowers are not so common in cooler climates.
As with (real) mints, you can harvest these as required by just breaking leaves off. This stimulates the plant to bush out further.
Use them in cooking or in hot water as a healthy infusion. It has a slightly peppery or hot-mint taste and is good for stimulating digestion.
Soil: Fertile, well drained soils are best in a dappled sunny location - it doesn't like all day direct sun.
As these are quite vigorous and a natural creeper, they propagate very easily so we recommend growing in a large pot to keep it contained. It does like to be well watered though, so half burying the pot is a good idea to retain access to moisture as free-standing pots can dry out quickly.
In cooler regions it is best treated as an annual.
Maintenance: Keep trimmed if you don't harvest it regularly, this will keep it neat.
Water often in summer but less in winter.
If there's a danger of frost then bring it indoors over winter.
Diseases: None of note.
Other Species: There are around 80 - 100 species or annual and perennial herbs in the Persicaria genus including:-
Persicaria affinis – the fleece flower
Persicaria alpina – alpine knotweed
Persicaria bicornis – pink smartweed
Persicaria chinensis – Chinese knotweed
Persicaria filiformis
Persicaria maculosa – Jesusplant
Persicaria tinctoria – Chinese indigo
amongst others.
Comments: As a culinary herb is is perfect in salads and is a key ingredient in rice, poultry and meat dishes. But many will recognise the taste from the distinctive Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls.
Persicaria odorata has many uses apart from cooking. It makes an excellent addition to baths and steam baths to improve skin condition.
It is also used to treat inflammation, fever, acne, reduce nausea, improve scalp condition and as a diuretic and general health tonic.
Author: Bob Saunders.