Deadly Pennyroyal

Ever since I started to shoot more weeds and common plants that grow around on the fields and woods, I learned so many cool things about them! Every time I find a new one I try to look for it online and find out what it is and how it is used (or not). Most of them are edible or at least used as some type of remedy.
And then there are some that you better don't mess with if you don't know how to handle it. This is one of those.

Mentha pulegium

First I noticed the purple. Lots of purple! And it was standing out among all the dry grasses and some green bushes. As I walked closer I noticed beautiful, tiny flowers. It straight away reminded me some milk flowers, or some other herb, but I wasn't sure if this is something I know, or something that just pretends to be a herb. I took some shots and walked away.

Later on the walk I saw it again and I noticed a nice fragrance. Boy it smelled so nice and fresh. Like sweet mint candies! So it has to be some kind of mint, right?

When I got home I started to google and I found out it! Mentha pulegium also known as pennyroyal, or pennyrile, squaw mint, mosquito plant and pudding grassor.
Is a herb that used to be used in ancient times in cooking. But I also found that there had been some death cases related with this plant and I guess this is why now it is not used that much anymore. The oil contains cyclohexanone pulegone which is responsible for the mint flavour, but is also highly toxic.

What the plant is good for is keeping mosquitoes and other insects away. So I guess planting it in a garden or patio is ok. Just keep kids and animals away from it.

It is definitely a pretty herb! And I am not sure if this is a different variety, or the dry weather did it, but the leaves and stems turned purple too. Imagine a bush of that in a flower bed..

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_{Shot with Nikon D5500 + Sigma 105mm lens
All photos and text are my own.}

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