Rooting Vietnamese Mint

[rebbetzin]

Yesterday, a friend brought me a big bag of Vietnamese Mint. We were making Spring Rolls. We really used very little of the mint. And not wanting to waste it, I thought I could attemt to root it. Does anyone know if it will root like regular mint? I attemted to look on the web, but I am not finding this particular type of mint. On the web they are speaking of a Vietnamese Coriander, but the leaves look different than the leaves of what I have.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

If it is in the mint family, then I wouldn't see why it wouldn't root like regular mint.

If it's this stuff, then it is probably not related to regular mint, which means I'm not sure whether or not it will.
http://www.kitazawaseed.com/seed_375-185.html
Either way you'll find out.

If you want to learn more about your mint, I think that I might know somebody who could tell you more about it. Not sure if there's much to be said, but...

@Pulsegleaner

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Would love to help, but unfortunately Lamiacae is not one of my strong families, either in terms of taxonomy or cultivation. I have heard of Vietnamese mint. In fact, there is some in the cocktail of her seeds I tossed into one of the pots on my patio. But this is the first year I have tried it, and I know nothing more about it (and annoyingly the packet of seeds from Baker Creek I used did not have a species name for the stuff.)

One thing it is definitely NOT, based on that picture, is Vietnamese coriander, aka rau ram. That indeed is a different plant. In fact, despite sometimes be referred to as Vietnamese mint rau ram isn't even in the mint family (it's in the Polygonacae, like buckwheat and smartweed).

If it was given to you SPECIFICALLY to make spring rolls, then it could be similar to a kind of Chinese herb called chin jiu which I think is a mint (though it could be a basil, it's been a long time since I saw seed for it for sale) or bai horaphaa (in Thailand). I remember one of my cookbooks saying that, if you couldn't get leaves of that for one of the recipes to use mint leaves.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

coaction. I did a little research and bai horaphaa is simply the Thai word for Thai basil. So it 1. isn't the same thing as what you have and 2. probably not the same thing as the chin jiu either (which is supposedly hard to find outside of the Teochiu region of China)

 

[Carol Dee]

It certainly does not hurt to try!

 

[rebbetzin]

coaction. I did a little research and bai horaphaa is simply the Thai word for Thai basil. So it 1. isn't the same thing as what you have and 2. probably not the same thing as the chin jiu either (which is supposedly hard to find outside of the Teochiu region of China)

Well, so far... I don't see any roots forming on the cuttings in water. But... they look fresh and wonderful. I do have some cuttings in potting soil, they look like they will make it. I am hoping to be able to add this herb to my herb garden once they get a decent root system going. Thanks for all the information.

 

[rebbetzin]

I spoke too soon... There are roots today on the cuttings in water!! NEATO!!! Now the problem will be keeping them WET enough here in the Sonora Desert!! I just might keep them in a pot.