Chocolate mint, a close relative to ordinary peppermint, has a complicated lineage involving forms of peppermint. It is derived from a cross between Mentha aquatica (watermint) and Mentha spicata (spearmint), from which a particular form, citrata (orange mint) was selected for development. The 'Chocolate' cultivar has the aroma of chocolate, but the taste in foods more closely resembles the orange citrus flavor of the citrata form of mint.The plant grows to about 2 feet tall and easily spreads by rhizomes into an attractive ground cover. The rounded, lance-shaped leaves are a darker green than other forms of mint. Lavender flowers appear in summer. This plant is a vigorous grower that is sometimes planted as an annual in colder climates.In cooking, chocolate can be used for flavoring desserts and drinks. In landscapes, it is often naturalized as a ground cover in moist areas or planted in rain gardens. The plant will spread as far as it is allowed, though it is not particularly hard to keep within its boundaries.
