hi I'm here today with another reader submitted question this one comes from Celia de Frank from Big Bear City California and she writes how can you distinguish peppermint from spearmint well this is a great question it's really easy to identify mint as a plant by itself mint has a sturdy square stem a fragrant aroma and very crinkly leaves and of all of the mint species available peppermint and spearmint are definitely the most popular as well they should be they have a vast array of benefits from improving digestive health to soothing upset tummies and relieving headache symptoms they also taste great and chocolaty treats and savory dishes but telling the difference between peppermint and spearmint can be a little tricky the easiest way to tell the difference will probably be through a sniff test peppermint has a much stronger aroma than spearmint which is actually a little bit sweeter smelling and that's because peppermint has a much higher content of menthol and mint phone than spearmint does which will also give it a much higher flavor when you use it in the kitchen so to note the difference between the two just take the leaves of either one crush it between your fingers and give it a sip you can also note the difference if you look very closely at the two leaves side-by-side spearmint has somewhat Harrier leaves in peppermint which are shinier with darker leaf stems spearmint also has more rounded edges if you look very closely whereas peppermints are more sharply toothed and finally spearmint flowers tend to be a little bit darker in color there are an abundance of mint varieties out there just to confuse you from Apple mint to chocolate mint so if you're so baffled at what's growing in your garden just take a cutting and take it to your local nursery and they'll be able to help you identify what's growing in your garden until next time I hope this has helped you