Yellow Mountain Avens vs Canada Mint - TreeTime.ca

Yellow Mountain Avens vs Canada Mint

Dryas drummondii

Mentha canadensis

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Yellow Mountain Avens
Canada Mint

Yellow Mountain Avens is a native perennial wildflower with bright yellow buttercup-like blooms. The nectar-rich flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies. By thriving at higher elevations, it helps sustain pollinator populations and provides one of the earliest sources of nectar and pollen in alpine habitats. After the blooms fade, the plant produces silky seed heads that begin as upright, compact tufts and gradually expand into rounded, fluffy clusters, adding texture and interest to the landscape.

As a nitrogen-fixing plant, Yellow Mountain Avens enriches soil fertility and supports the growth of surrounding vegetation. It forms dense, spreading mats of evergreen foliage that act as a groundcover and help stabilize soil. Often among the first species to establish in disturbed alpine sites such as glacial outwash or landslides, it is well-suited for alpine revegetation, erosion control, naturalization, and ecological restoration projects in harsh, rocky environments.

Canada Mint is a native perennial plant known for its fragrant edible leaves. It produces small white to purple flowers in clusters around the stem and is commonly found in wet areas, including ditches and along wetlands, lakes, and rivers. The leaves can be eaten fresh or used to make teas and essential oils.

Canada Mint can spread quickly through underground rhizomes, making it well-suited to naturalization and restoration projects where it can spread freely. In smaller urban yards or gardens, container planting is recommended to help manage its growth. If planted directly in the ground, regular care and maintenance may be needed to limit its spread.

Yellow Mountain Avens Quick Facts

Canada Mint Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 1a
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: mat-forming, creeping
Growth form: spreading, colony forming
Spreading: stolons - medium, seeds - low
Spreading: rhizomes - high, seeds - low
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: evergreen, leathery
Foliage: aromatic, edible
Flowers: yellow, buttercup-like, nodding
Flowers: small, white to purple clusters along stem
Bloom time: spring to summer
Bloom time: mid summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, ON, QC, NB, NL, YT, NT
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, PE
Other Names: drummonds dryad, drummonds mountain avens, yellow dryad
Other Names: american wild mint