fresh from origin
Indigenous to Europe and Asia, peppermint has been naturalized in North America and is found near streams and in other wet sites. It is cultivated for its essential oil. Natural hybridization among wild species has yielded many varieties of peppermint, but only two, the black and the white, are recognized by growers. The former has purplish and the latter green stems. Black peppermint is extensively grown in the United States. The white variety is less hardy and less productive, but its oil is considered more delicate.