Identifying plants can be challenging due to the vast number of species worldwide. Some plants are harmless, while others can be toxic and dangerous. It can be even more difficult to distinguish toxic plants from harmless ones when they look alike. One example is pennyroyal, often mistaken for peppermint. Despite the pleasant scent of pennyroyal, it contains toxic oils that can be fatal if ingested by humans. It should also be avoided by pets. Pennyroyal and peppermint share many similarities, such as belonging to the mint family and having a minty scent, square stems, and leaves that grow opposite each other.
Differences between pennyroyal and peppermint
Pennyroyal and peppermint may look similar at first glance, but there are key differences. Both plants have tall purple flowers and leaves below the blooms. However, peppermint has tighter clusters of violet or lavender flowers, while pennyroyal has more defined clusters stacked on top of each other with a lighter lilac hue. Pennyroyal leaves are rounder and less green compared to the more oval-shaped, pointed peppermint leaves. Despite these differences, both plants can grow up to two feet tall. Peppermint thrives in various conditions across the U.S., while pennyroyal is typically found in West Coast regions.
