USGrowersGuide

Plants · Herbs

Mint planting zones

Mint (Mentha) is a perennial. By the type table below, at least one type lives through winter in the ground in 3a–13b, which is nearly every US garden. Below the types are the dates that decide when it goes out and when it comes in: each zone’s median last spring freeze and first fall freeze, from NOAA records.

Published October 23, 2026 · Cite this page

The types

Which mint to grow

Type Hardy in the ground Notes
Spearmint Mentha spicata 3a no warm-end limit Clemson calls it one of the easiest to grow; Utah State lists it among the mints hardy in Utah’s cold areas.
Peppermint Mentha × piperita 3a no warm-end limit Clemson says mint seed does not come true to type, so grow it from cuttings, roots or transplants.
Apple mint Mentha suaveolens 5a no warm-end limit Texas A&M says its runners root where they touch covered soil, which is how it is easily propagated.

Zone ranges are a judgement: horticultural convention set beside what the sources below say, not a measurement. They agree with our What survives my winter tool. In the next table the freeze dates are measured, and the count of hardy types comes from these judged ranges.

Zone by zone

Where mint lives through winter, and when the freezes fall

Each date is the median across every NOAA station the zone’s ZIP codes cite, 1991–2020 normals. The middle half of those stations falls within the range shown beside it.

Zone Types hardy in the ground Last spring freeze First fall freeze
3a 2 of 3 only 10 stations with comparable freeze dates — too few to publish a date
3b 2 of 3 May 18 · middle half May 15 – May 25 September 23 · middle half September 17 – September 26
4a 2 of 3 May 15 · middle half May 10 – May 21 September 27 · middle half September 22 – September 30
4b 2 of 3 May 11 · middle half May 5 – May 23 September 30 · middle half September 23 – October 3
5a 3 of 3 May 9 · middle half May 1 – May 20 October 2 · middle half September 26 – October 7
5b 3 of 3 May 4 · middle half April 27 – May 15 October 8 · middle half October 1 – October 14
6a 3 of 3 May 1 · middle half April 24 – May 9 October 14 · middle half October 5 – October 20
6b 3 of 3 April 25 · middle half April 17 – May 3 October 20 · middle half October 11 – October 24
7a 3 of 3 April 19 · middle half April 11 – April 27 October 23 · middle half October 17 – October 28
7b 3 of 3 April 8 · middle half April 3 – April 16 October 30 · middle half October 25 – November 3
8a 3 of 3 March 30 · middle half March 25 – April 5 November 5 · middle half November 1 – November 10
8b 3 of 3 March 20 · middle half March 13 – March 29 November 12 · middle half November 7 – November 18
9a 3 of 3 March 5 · middle half February 24 – March 15 November 24 · middle half November 18 – December 2
9b 3 of 3 February 12 · middle half January 30 – February 25 December 8 · middle half December 1 – December 17
10a 3 of 3 107 of 190 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
10b 3 of 3 70 of 79 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
11a 3 of 3 34 of 34 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
11b 3 of 3 12 of 12 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from

“Types hardy in the ground” is a judgement, from the type table above. The freeze dates are measured.

A zone does not tell you your own dates. Inside a single zone the median last spring freeze still varies by 34 days from station to station, so the box below gives the dates of the NOAA station nearest your ZIP code.

Your ZIP code

Your ZIP, your answer

Enter your ZIP code to see your USDA zone, how many of the 3 types on this page live through that zone’s winter and when its freezes fall, read from the table on this page, and the freeze dates of the NOAA station nearest you.

Works for all 40,502 US ZIP codes. Freeze dates need a NOAA station within 100 km; where there is none, the page says so rather than estimating one. Your ZIP code stays in your browser: the page downloads the file of ZIP codes that share its first three digits and looks yours up there. It is not stored or tracked.

Your answer appears here.

Full details for any ZIP code: ZIP code zone finder.

Which mint

University of Illinois Extension says peppermint (Mentha × piperita) and spearmint (Mentha spicata) are the most common, grow 1 to 3 feet tall and spread aggressively by underground rhizomes. It calls mints extremely hardy perennials. Utah State University Extension says peppermint, spearmint and woolly mints are very hardy in Utah’s cold areas, and that full sun may scorch the leaves of variegated pineapple mint.

Clemson’s Home & Garden Information Center calls spearmint one of the easiest to grow, the traditional mint for mint juleps, and says peppermint has the flavor of candy canes; it also names ginger mint, applemint, pineapple mint and the very dwarf Corsican mint. UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions says mint does well in Florida’s hot, humid weather.

Keeping it contained

The sources warn about the spread. Utah State says mint spreads quickly in open garden areas, out-competes most garden plants and, once established, is very hard to eradicate. UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions says it sends out runners everywhere and can become weedy, and to plant it in containers; UF/IFAS Northwest District says to plant mint apart from other herbs because it takes over.

Penn State Extension plants mint in a 3- to 5-gallon pot, with drainage holes or the bottom removed, buried in the garden with the rim an inch or so above the ground so above-ground runners cannot spread; prune creeping stems so they do not root next door. Penn State says sunken pots should confine the plants for a few years.

The sources give different rim heights. Utah State says buried containers should extend 3 to 4 inches above and 10 to 15 inches below the soil surface. UC Master Gardeners of Fresno County leave a one- to two-inch lip, suggest a five-gallon bucket with drainage holes, and say to watch for runners escaping over the lip.

Mint growing in a pot buried in a garden bed A mint plant in a pot sunk into the soil. The pot's rim stands a little above the soil, and a runner growing out from the plant stops at the rim. Labels give the three sources' rim heights: an inch or so (Penn State), 3 to 4 inches (Utah State) and one to two inches (UC Fresno). Below the soil the pot is buried 10 to 15 inches deep (Utah State), and Penn State uses a 3- to 5-gallon pot. Mint in a buried pot Rim above the soil: an inch or so (Penn State), 3 to 4 inches (Utah State), one to two inches (UC Fresno) Rim stops runners above ground (Penn State) Buried 10 to 15 inches (Utah State) 3- to 5-gallon pot (Penn State)
Penn State Extension buries a 3- to 5-gallon pot with the rim an inch or so above the ground; Utah State University Extension says 3 to 4 inches above and 10 to 15 inches below the soil; UC Master Gardeners of Fresno County leave a one- to two-inch lip. The sources disagree on the rim, so the pot is drawn to no scale. Drawing: USGrowersGuide, from Penn State Extension, Utah State University Extension and UC Master Gardeners of Fresno County, as quoted above.

Illinois strongly suggests growing mint in containers above ground, and says bottomless containers sunk into the garden do not always succeed. For a pot above ground, UC Fresno uses one at least six inches deep with a saucer or paver under it, so the mint cannot escape through the drainage hole.

Planting, sun and water

In Florida, UF/IFAS’s Herbs in the Florida Garden says mint can grow fast and become weedy, and names it among the easiest herbs to grow.

Clemson says to grow mint from cuttings, roots or transplants, because mint seed does not come true to type; Utah State says the same, and buys established plants, takes cuttings or divides a plant for a named variety.

The sources differ on sun. Illinois says mints prefer full sun but tolerate light shade. Clemson says they prefer rich, moist or even damp soil in part shade, and UF/IFAS says mint prefers light or part shade in Florida, in soil that holds moisture, spaced about 12 inches apart. Texas A&M’s Growing Herbs in Texas grows it in full sun or part shade, 8 to 10 inches apart, and says mints prefer moist soil, so they must be watered often.

Utah State waters up to 1 to 2 inches a week, depending on temperature, exposure and soil, and warns that overwatering leads to disease.

Harvesting for the kitchen

Illinois says leaves can be harvested as needed, and the more often stems are cut, the more new growth is produced; the new growth has the most flavorful leaves. To keep the flavor, it removes flower spikes as they appear. Utah State and UC Fresno start harvesting once plants are 3 to 4 inches tall.

Utah State cuts stems to within 1 inch of the soil, late in the morning on dry, sunny days, and says each plant can be cut back that way two to three times a season, just before it blooms; if allowed to bloom, the leaves lose flavor. Illinois says a bunch of mint in a glass of water stays fresh for 3 to 7 days, and uses mint with veal, lamb and pork, in beverages and in jellies.

Winter and dividing

Mint lives through winter almost everywhere; the table above rates spearmint and peppermint from zone 3a. Before winter, Utah State cuts each plant back to the ground to discourage pests and diseases.

To keep plants vigorous, Illinois divides mint every 3 to 4 years. Utah State divides and replants in spring before growth starts or early in the fall.

Common problems

Penn State says very few diseases attack herbs, but rust infects mints. Utah State describes rust as small whitish, slightly raised spots on the undersides of leaves that turn reddish orange or brown: avoid leaving leaves wet overnight, use drip irrigation, or water overhead before midday. It says overwatering and overfertilizing promote rust and reduce the oil that flavors the leaves.

UC Fresno adds powdery mildew, and insects including aphids, leafhoppers, thrips, spider mites, the mint caterpillar and the mint root borer. Texas A&M’s survey of Texas herb crops names loopers and cutworms as the major commercial pests, and Verticillium wilt and rust as the diseases.

Common mistakes

We found no Texas home-garden source on mint beyond Texas A&M’s statewide bulletin, Growing Herbs in Texas (2009), which gives spacing and watering only.

Questions

How do I stop mint from spreading?
Grow it in a container. Penn State buries a 3- to 5-gallon pot with the rim an inch or so above ground; Utah State says buried containers should extend 3 to 4 inches above and 10 to 15 inches below the soil surface; UC Fresno leaves a one- to two-inch lip. Illinois prefers containers above ground, because bottomless sunk containers do not always hold it.
Does mint need sun or shade?
Illinois says mints prefer full sun but tolerate light shade. Clemson says they prefer rich, moist soil in part shade, and UF/IFAS says mint prefers light or part shade in Florida.
How often can I cut mint?
Utah State says each plant can be cut to within 1 inch of the soil two to three times a season, just before it blooms. Illinois says the more often stems are cut, the more new growth is produced, and the new growth has the most flavorful leaves.
Will mint come back after winter?
Yes, in nearly every US zone. Illinois calls mints extremely hardy perennials, and the type table on this page rates spearmint and peppermint from zone 3a. Utah State cuts plants back to the ground before winter to discourage pests and diseases.

Sources

Freeze dates on this page are NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, for every station the ZIP codes in each zone cite. Zones are the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. The type table is a judgement, as labelled above. Growing advice is quoted from the extension publications below, each written for its own area.

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Published October 23, 2026

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