[6][7][8] M. × piperita and M. haplocalyx are both recognized as plant sources of menthol and menthone, and are among the oldest herbs used for both culinary and medicinal products.

[5][9] Peppermint was first identified in Hertfordshire, England, by a Dr. Eales, a discovery which John Ray published 1696 in the second edition of his book Synopsis Methodica Stirpium Britannicarum.

[15][16] Peppermint is an herbaceous, rhizomatous, perennial plant that grows to be 30–90 cm (12–35 in) tall, with smooth stems, square in cross section.

Peppermint typically occurs in moist habitats, including stream sides and drainage ditches.

[4][19] Outside of its native range, areas where peppermint was formerly grown for oil often have an abundance of feral plants, and it is considered invasive in Australia, the Galápagos Islands, New Zealand,[20] and the United States[21] in the Great Lakes region, noted since 1843.

It grows best with a good supply of water, without being water-logged, and planted in areas with partial sun to shade.

[40] Dried peppermint typically has 0.3–0.4% of volatile oil containing menthol (7–48%), menthone (20–46%), menthyl acetate (3–10%), menthofuran (1–17%), and 1,8-cineol (3–6%).

Peppermint oil also contains small amounts of many additional compounds, including limonene, pulegone, caryophyllene, and pinene.

[50] Peppermint oil is under preliminary research for its potential as a short-term treatment for irritable bowel syndrome,[51][52] and has supposed uses in traditional medicine for minor ailments.

[53][54] Peppermint roots bioaccumulate radium, so the plant may be effective for phytoremediation of radioactively contaminated soil.

Peppermint is used for flavouring ice cream, candy, fruit preserves, alcoholic beverages, chewing gum, toothpaste, and some shampoos, soaps, and skin care products.

[38][39] Menthol activates cold-sensitive TRPM8 receptors in the skin and mucosal tissues, and is the primary source of the cooling sensation that follows the topical application of peppermint oil.

[56] Peppermint oil is also used in construction and plumbing to test for the tightness of pipes and disclose leaks by its odor.