Peppermint is a hybrid mint, a cross between watermint and spearmint.The plant, indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, is now widespread in cultivation in many regions of the world.It is found wild occasionally with its parent species.

Peppermint  is a herbaceous rhizomatous perennial plant growing to 30–90cm (12–35 in) tall, with smooth stems, square in cross section. The rhizomes are wide-spreading, fleshy, and bare fibrous roots. The leavesare from 4–9 cm (1.6–3.5 in) long and 1.5–4cm (0.59–1.57 in) broad, dark green with reddish veins, and with an acute apex and coarsely toothed margins. The leaves and stems are usually slightly fuzzy. The flowers are purple, 6–8mm (0.24–0.31 in) long, with a four-lobed corolla about 5mm (0.20 in) diameter; they are produced in whorls (verticillasters) around the stem, forming thick, blunt spikes. Flowering is from mid to late summer. The chromosome number is variable, with 2n counts of 66, 72, 84, and 120 recorded.Peppermint is a fast-growing plant; once it sprouts, it spreads very quickly.