Flower profile
Pennyroyal
Mentha pulegium
Pennyroyal is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. In Oregon it's most often seen in bloom in June–October.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Oregon
Quick look
Mentha pulegium, commonly (European) pennyroyal, or pennyrile, also called mosquito plant and pudding grass, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Crushed pennyroyal leaves emit a very strong fragrance similar to spearmint.
- It belongs to the Lamiaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 7 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as not native to Oregon. NatureServe
- In Oregon, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–October. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,919 research-grade sightings of it in Oregon, ranking #91 among the 110 flowers on our Oregon list. iNaturalist
Pennyroyal gift ideas
Handmade pennyroyal gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Pennyroyal art print
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Pennyroyal greeting card
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Pennyroyal mug
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Pennyroyal earrings
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Pennyroyal embroidery pattern
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Pennyroyal sticker
When does it bloom?
In Oregon, most flowering sightings come in June–October.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
- Oregon
- Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Oregon. OAR 603-073-0070
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
ASPCA's entry “Mint” (Mentha sp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Vomiting and diarrhea with large… ASPCA
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records pennyroyal in 7 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
California, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington.
Oregon counties with USDA records: Benton, Columbia, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Polk.
More Oregon flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile MEPU.
- iNaturalist, Mentha pulegium: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Mentha pulegium (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Oregon: Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070).
- Oregon: Oregon noxious weed quarantine, A and B weeds (OAR 603-052-1200).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Mentha pulegium (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Alex Abair via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.