Mentha × piperita, Halictus  

Sarah Red-Laird

Bee Habitat in Cyanotype 11

Banyan Farm // Williams, Oregon

Mentha × piperita, Peppermint 

Halictus, Sweat Bee

Cyanotype, Goldleaf Paint, BGO Entomological Collection, Barnwood

Collected Summer 2022

Composed 2023

This flower was harvested from Bayan Farm, a BGO “Regenerative Bee Habitat” project partner.

Banyan Farm is a 20-acre certified organic farm located in Williams, Oregon. They practice sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices, including a polyculture design, crop rotation, and composting, all of which support overall biodiversity.

In addition to growing Ayurvedic herbs for Banyan Botanicals, the leading Ayurvedic lifestyle company in the US, they bring veggies to local farmers markets.

In 2022 the team brought BGO on as a partner to monitor bees on the farm. Our job is to provide Banyan with data on which bees pollinate their herbs, to help them know more about the bee community that Banyan Farm supports, and to help them to become (even more) bee friendly through utilizing fallow areas for regenerative bee pasture.

Learn more about, and support, Banyan Farm here, and Banyan Botanicals here.

One of the buzziest crops on the farm was peppermint, Mentha × piperita. Not only does this herb fill the air with a joyful bouquet for people, bees love it, too. Small carpenter bees, Ceratina, large carpenter bees, Xylocopa, and sweat bees, Halictus, couldn’t get enough of it.

Peppermint is a hybrid species of mint, a cross between watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, it’s medicinal ususes have propelled it, by way of human hand, across the globe.

In addition to being a delicious candycane flavoring, peppermint has been used as a treatment for stomach issues, headaches, and aromatherapy since time immemorial.

Peppermint gets its name from Greek mythology. As the legend goes, the god Hades was having an affair with a nymph named Minthe. When his wife found out about his infidelity, she turned Minthe into a common plant that grew like a weed and was constantly under foot. To soften his lover’s fate, Hades altered the curse. He left Minthe a weed but gave her a sweet, calming scent to remind others of her presence as they walked over her.

Peppermint is often viewed as a “weed” and targeted for mowing, or removal. However — this plant provides vital nutrients and essential oils to both our honey bees, and native, bees at a time of year (mid-late summer) while other flowers may struggle. Please let your peppermint grow wild, and consider utilizing some of it’s benefits for yourself!