Balkan Mint

(Issopo del Carso) Highly aromatic herb found wild throughout the Balkans, but mainly in the Dinaric Alps from northeastern Italy south to Albania. The plant is so aromatic that on hot days one can smell it from far away. Since ancient times it was gathered from the wild for use as a condiment in food and as a tea, and was used for its potent antimicrobial and antifungal properties. In recent years a surge of interest in this plant has led to efforts to bring this herb into cultivation. Its masses of white or light pink flowers are very showy and a magnet for bees. Ht. 30-60cm/1-2ft.