Crested Late Summer Mint

Description

Elsholtzia ciliata, commonly known as Vietnamese balm, xiang ru or kinh giới in Vietnamese, is a plant native to Asia. In the US, it can go by the name Crested Late Summer Mint. In US Vietnamese grocery stores, it is called Kinh Gioi, Vietnamese Lemon Balm, or Vietnamese Lemon Mint. The plant is native to Asia. However, the exact extent of its original range is unclear. Today it is found through much of India, eastern Asia, and Europe. It grows throughout Nepal at elevations of 1500 to 3400 m.Elsholtzia ciliata is an erect herb that grows to about 60 cm in height. The leaves are long, stalked, and serrated, and reach 2 to 8.5 cm in length and 8 to 2.5 cm in width. In shape, they are ovate to lanceolate, with a gland-dotted underside. Flowers of a purple color bloom in flat spikes in September and October. Seeds propagate within them.