Tanacetum balsamita
Alecost, Costmary, Mint geranium, English mace
Also known as Balsamita major, Chrysanthemum balsamita
- Height × spread
- 0.9m × 0.45m
- Position
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Cold to -15C (RHS H5)
- Flowers
- Summer
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
A hearty perennial that makes a spreading clump of upright leaves held on quite slender stems. The leaves are oblong with rounded tops and are smooth looking. They are coloured green but have a subtle silvered sheen when grown in plenty of sunshine. There are small button-like daisy flowers in late summer which are borne freely and are gently attractive. This plant has a long history of domestic use since, as the name 'alecost' suggests, it was used to flavour beer in the Middle Ages. (Hops now perform this function.) The leaves of this plant can be added to salads. When crushed the leaves have a spearmint-like fragrance.
- Flower colour
- White
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Column
- Height
- 0.9m
- Spread
- 0.45m
- Season of interest
- Summer
- Flowers in
- Summer
- Evergreen
- Evergreen
- Garden style
- Wild flower meadow, Herb garden, Gravel garden, Cottage garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam (normal)
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Moisture retentive soil, Well drained soil
- Hardiness
- Cold to -15C (RHS H5)
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Ground cover, Bee attraction
- Hazards
- No
- Pet safe
- Yes – listed in our pet-safe plants
Spring
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water in dry periods
Established plants in the ground can cope with 7-10 days of dryness, and shrubs often manage 2 to 3 weeks. Water one section of the garden thoroughly each day rather than a little everywhere. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather.
Summer
Summer - early · Outdoors
Feed a general fertiliser
Where plants have moderate needs for nutrients, they can simply be given a general feed, fairly early in the growth season so that the growth has plenty of time to harden off before the cold weather.
Give plants a general boost with the application of a general purpose fertiliser which is spread around the root area of the plant, with amounts as directed on the feed label.
Found in
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