Abstract The seasonal variations of the essential oil content and composition of a Mentha spicata population grown wild in Greece were examined. The oil content ranged from 0.1â1.8%, with the maximum values in late summer/early autumn. The essential oil obtained from the leaves was characterized by a very high content in linalool, i.e. 85.0â93.9% of the total oil (highest percentage in mid-autumn). Other oil constituents occurring in much lower amounts were germacrene D (up to 4.2%), Î²-caryophyllene (up to 2.6%) and 1,8-cineole (up to 2.1%). Key Word Index: Mentha spicata Labiataeessential oil compositionlinaloolseasonal variation