After Eight Mint Plants
These After Eight Mint Plants are the perfect example of herb plant that will really engage and excite your senses within your kitchen garden. Exactly as the name might suggest, this plant combines minty freshness with sweet, rich chocolate tasting strangely similar to the After Eight chocolates we all know and love.
The most striking feature of After Eight Mint is its rich, dark green foliage with a hint of purple, resembling the colour palette of the popular After Eight chocolates. The leaves are smooth, lance-shaped, and emit a potent minty fragrance when crushed. This variety grows in a bushy yet compact manner, making it a practical choice for container gardening or as an attractive addition to herb gardens.
This is a variety of mint that will grow quickly, spreading and filling the pot or herb bed that it is growing within, providing you with an abundance of fresh foliage to use in the kitchen. For this reason it might be a good idea to keep this one contained unless you have an area which you don't mind being entirely overrun with sweet chocolately minty freshness. But don't worry, we've got a whole piece on how to grow mint which will help you get the very best from your plants.
Working fantastically well in desserts and teas, this herb is one you'll head out into the garden to pick time and time again. Looking for more ideas for your homegrown herbal tea collection? Take a look below!
Latin Name: Mentha x piperita 'After Eight'
Type: Perennial
Soil Type: Moist
Where should I plant this variety? Sun/partial shade
How tall does it grow? Approx. 30cm
How much space does it need? Spreads rapidly. Keep contained
When does it flower? Pale purple flowers during midsummer
Top care tips: Prune back after flowering and keep contained!
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Some varieties of herb are really special. Some remind me of exactly why I do this job. Chocolate Mint (Mentha x piperita) is one of them. I remember the first time I smelled this variety, I was so surprised and excited.
When we introduce customers to this variety, I get to see that reaction all over again. We all expect that it “might smell a bit like Chocolate” or “maybe you will get a bit of the aroma?”, but then the smell hits the person's nose. They then look around in astonishment, and call a friend over. They say “You have to smell this!", "It really does smell like chocolate” and “That would be great in a drink! Or imagine that chopped up into a nice cocktail”.
That is what the best herbs do. They inspire people. And Chocolate Mint certainly does that!
In the Peppermint family, Chocolate Mint combines the dark Peppermint family with extra sweetness. It is fantastic with desserts and drinks.
Like most varieties of Mint we would suggest keeping this contained, although the largely compact growth habit of chocolate mint makes it perfect for growing in a container.
Delivery options explained
Pre-order delivery option
From January to March, customers are able to pre-order herbs for delivery later in spring, to ensure that you receive the unusual varieties that you desire. We begin dispatch of pre-orders from late March, once all items in your order are available for dispatch in one delivery, as some varieties will be available a little later in the year than others. You will receive notification when this dispatch takes place along with tracking information but if you would like an estimated delivery date after placing your pre-order, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Order Now delivery option
From late March to autumn, herbs will be available for immediate dispatch subject to their availability. We dispatch our fresh potted herbs Monday-Wednesday each week to avoid postal delays over the weekend. We aim to dispatch all fresh herb orders in less than seven days, i.e. an order placed Thursday-Sunday would likely be dispatched the following Monday/Tuesday. Orders placed Monday-Tuesday we would aim to dispatch by the Wednesday of that week. We do not dispatch on bank holidays.
If you have a specific dispatch date that you would like us to aim towards, please do not hesitate to let us know. We can't guarantee a particular date but will strive to do our best for you.
Dispatch information
All orders are dispatched via a next day courier, ensuring that your herbs reach you promptly and in good health. For customers in the Highlands and Channel Islands this is a 48-hour delivery service. (From 2021 onwards we are unable to ship to Northern Ireland.)
Please note that we do not offer a collection service. Our site is not suitable to receive visitors and this is a rule that we have to apply universally out of respect to our neighbours and family.
Packaging
We aim to reuse packaging as much as possible. Your herbs will be delivered in taupe recyclable pots. We are moving over to using plastic blister cell packaging which contains at least 90% recycled content and is itself 100% recyclable. These things are important to you and are important to us.Customer satisfaction
Occasionally due to circumstances beyond our control, problems can arise. If you are not satisfied in the condition of your plants upon reaching you, please contact us as soon as possible providing pictures so that we can deal with your enquiry and feedback to our courier service. We will endeavour to ensure a resolution is reached that leaves you satisfied.