Plant of the Week: Meehan's mint (Meehenia cordata)

Perhaps you are looking for a native species to take the place of that hideous Ajuga or Lamium or perhaps you need a ground cover with a touch of aromatics when you brush up against it or maybe you just want a low growing ground cover for light shade to draw people into the garden.  Whatever the reason, Meehenia is an excellent plant choice.  This beautiful lavender flower colored mint is stoloniferous and will gradually spread and form nice mats or clusters and is quite showy when it blooms in May, usually after many of the other spring ephemeral wildflowers are done blooming.  It likes filtered shade and this is a species that must have humus, rich and organic soil that is well drained.  It will not tolerate clay but it will tolerate quite a bit of sun as long as the soil is kept universally moist. The one inch long tubular flowers sit atop a 2 to 4" plant with heart shaped leaves. Like many other mints it has square stems and the flowers are two lipped and showy.  It is easy to propagate from stem cuttings or division.  The plant is named for the famed botanist Thomas Meehan who was a 19th century horticulturalist from Philadelphia.  The species name arises from the heart shape or cordate leaves.  If you use this as an introduction to the woodland garden it can be placed in front of foam flower, green and gold, or dwarf crested iris.