This is the commonest of the indigenous mints, and may found growing around dams, vleis and on riverbanks all over South Africa. It is now low-growing and creeping never reaching more than about 30cm in height. The wide, almost egg shaped leaves are dull green and sometimes hairy. The flowers occur in small heads of white or palest pink.

The flavor of wild water mint is very strong, and consequently it is used more used more often medicinally as a tea then for culinary purpose. There are, however, a few delicious traditional recipes that make use of its fresh taste, such as pickled fish and boboetie.

Wild mint is easily propagated by merely pulling up a creeping stem with roots all along the nodes, and pressing it into moist soil. It is tough and resilient to disease and the changing seasons providing its roots are kept constantly moist.