Fish mint Coloring Pages

The Magical Wild Herb with Ten Powers! Fish mint

Fish mint is a plant that often grows along Japanese roadsides, in garden corners, and in slightly damp, shady spots. It has heart-shaped leaves and white flowers blooming at the top. Even though its Japanese name has the word "poison" in it, it is not poisonous at all! In fact, it has been valued since ancient times as a "medicinal herb" full of good things for your body. It has a unique, strong smell, but that is actually Fish mint's special power to protect itself.

Features of Fish mint

Fish mint has lots of fun features that other plants do not have. If you find one, take a close look!

• Heart-Shaped Leaves: Fish mint leaves are shaped like cute hearts. They are dark green, but sometimes the edges look a little reddish.
• White Flowers?: It looks like white flowers are blooming at the tip of the stem. But the white parts that look like petals are actually special leaves called "bracts." The real flowers are tiny and gathered together on the yellow rod in the center!
• The Secret of the Smell: If you tear a leaf, it gives off a sharp, unique smell. This is Fish mint's "protective barrier" to keep bugs from eating it and to fight off germs!
• Underground Network: Under the ground, long roots stretch out and keep making new plant friends. That is why it is so strong and hard to pull up all at once after it starts growing!

How Fish mint Helps Us

Fish mint has long been called "Juyu," which means "ten medicines." That is because it is an amazing medicine with more than 10 different powers! Dried Fish mint can be made into tea to drink or put into your bath. It is a helpful neighborhood hero that keeps everyone healthy!

Tips for Coloring

When you color the Fish mint coloring page, try to think about its special "deep colors" to make it look great!

• Leaf colors: Don't just use light green. Try using some dark green, too! If you trace the edges of the leaves with a little bit of brown or red, your Fish mint will look just like a real one!
• White parts: The parts that look like white petals will look more 3D if you add shadows with a little bit of pale yellow or yellow-green, instead of leaving them all plain white.
• Yellow center: The stick-like "real flower" part in the middle will stand out if you color it with bright yellow or orange!
• Stem colors: Stems are not just green. They often have a mix of purple or reddish-brown! Look closely and pick your colors.

Try Drawing a Background!

Fish mint loves slightly dark and damp places! It will look super cool if you draw a stone wall, an old house's garden, or the bottom of a big tree in the background. Fish mint wet with rain looks shiny and very pretty, too. Adding some raindrops is also a great idea!

Make Your Own Unique Fish Mint

Real Fish mint might look a bit plain, but you can use any colorful ideas on your coloring page! It is lots of fun to color it like a rainbow Fish mint, or a magical shiny herb. Let your imagination go wild!

The name comes from "stopping poison"

People say the name for Fish mint comes from words that mean "stopping poison." It has a strong power to push bad things out of your body, so its name grew from that!

A magical smell that keeps bugs away

That sharp smell comes from a component called "decanoyl acetaldehyde." It has an amazing power to fight off germs! Long ago, people hung Fish mint up to keep bugs away or used it as medicine to treat wounds.

The smell goes away when made into tea?!

Fish mint has such a strong smell, but surprisingly, the smell goes away when you dry it! Dried Fish mint is loved as a tea, and it turns into a nice, toasted flavor that is easy to drink. Nature is so mysterious!