Shrinking violet of the garden is poised to become a star

Some of the best plants were never meant to be the center of attention.

That’s certainly true of clustered, or blunt, mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum), which has many attributes but will never be the star of the garden.

And before readers who have been traumatized by mint completely tune out, let’s get one thing straight: Mountain mint is not a true mint, and it won’t take over your yard with the determination of a Labrador retriever chasing a favorite stick. It is in the mint family, has a lovely minty smell and will spread ... a bit.