Coyote Mint

• Once established, it thrives with little to no summer water, matching the San Lorenzo Valley’s six-month dry season.
• Prefers well-drained soil but adapts to less fertile or rocky conditions.
• Also grows well on dry slopes and woodland edges.
• Leave stalks standing through winter; hollow stems and dried flower heads shelter overwintering insects.
• Cut back lightly in early spring to renew growth.
• Use chop-and-drop when pruning to return organic matter to the soil and support soil life.

• Compact perennial subshrub with aromatic, mint-scented foliage that often remains evergreen in mild winters
• Forms low, rounded mounds with showy lavender-purple flower heads from late spring through summer
• Drought-tolerant and long-lived in well-drained sites
• Deer resistant
• Fragrant leaves release a strong mint scent when brushed or crushed

These associations replicate the natural forest-edge community, supporting soil health, seasonal fluctuations, and biodiversity.

• Purple Needle Grass (Stipa pulchra), California Brome (Bromus carinatus), Giant Wild Rye (Elymus condensatus), Foothill Sedge (Carex tumulicola)
• California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum), Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Pacific Aster (Symphyotrichum chilense)
• Blueblossom (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus), California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica), Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californicum)

• Propagation from seed is possible, but germination rates are often low and variable.
• The preferred method for more reliable results is semi-hardwood cuttings taken in late summer to early fall, which root readily under nursery conditions.
• In horticultural practice, divisions of woody subshrubs are less reliable because disturbing the crown/root base can stress or kill the parent plant.
• Best success in gardens comes from planting nursery-grown starts in well-drained soil.

• Adds fragrance and seasonal color to habitat gardens and pollinator borders.
• Thrives on dry slopes and woodland edges, where its summer bloom provides valuable nectar.
• Pairs well with native bunchgrasses and other pollinator-friendly perennials.
• Ideal for small spaces and low-water residential gardens.

• Once established, Coyote Mint thrives without summer water, matching the San Lorenzo Valley’s six-month dry season.
• Deadhead spent blooms early in the season to prolong flowering, but stop by late summer so seedheads can form and remain through fall and winter, supporting overwintering insects and seed-eating birds.
• Leave dried stalks standing until early spring; hollow stems and seed heads offer essential shelter for native pollinators during dormancy.
• Cut back lightly in spring after insect emergence to renew growth.
• Use chop-and-drop when pruning to return organic matter to the soil, building soil life and detrital pollinator webs.
• For best results, plant 3–7 Coyote Mint together, spaced 18–24 inches apart to form a strong nectar hub. Surround these clusters with native larval host bunchgrasses planted within 1–2 feet, so skipper butterflies emerging from their host plants can move quickly to Coyote Mint, where nectar sustains the adult stage.