This perennial flower that thrives in cool climates often features blue trumpet-shaped flower clusters and grey-green leaves with a distinctive mint scent. Even though it’s frequently called catnip, cats don’t find it to be as alluring as the real stuff. However, I’ve seen that if given the chance, our cat will indulge herself. Although the plant can reach a height of 3 feet, it frequently sprawls, creating a grey-green ground cover. In the late spring and early summer, it blooms profusely. In hot temperatures in the middle of the summer, it frequently temporarily stops flowering before starting up again in the early fall, especially if the plant is vigorously trimmed down. Catmint blooms are beloved by butterflies, hummingbirds, and other useful insects.
In our location, catmint is resilient, though certain types may require winter protection in colder climates. Despite the fact that it may be grown from seed, it is considerably simpler to buy plants from a nearby nursery or get divisions from a friend’s garden in the early spring when it first begins to grow. From early spring through early fall, sow. It is simple to divide catmint. Catmint should be planted in full or partial sun in humus-rich, compost-added soil that is well-drained. Plant where it will receive afternoon shade if you’re growing in one of our region’s warmer areas. In the garden, space plants 1 to 2 feet apart.
Water newly planted plants well. They may be resistant of drought once they have grown. To help keep weeds at bay and the soil continuously moist, mulch with bark and spread compost around the base of plants in the spring.
If you aggressively deadhead flowers and prune the plant back by two-thirds after each flush of blooms, you may keep catmint in practically constant bloom from late spring until fall. After a few years, springtime division of the plant will encourage renewed development and result in the production of more plants for friends and other plantings. Catmint doesn’t self-sow because it has few pests and sterile seeds.
The traditional cottage garden plant catmint frequently grows with peonies, roses, coreopsis, and delphiniums. It’s a fantastic filler plant to add color and green foliage between later blooming flowers because of its spreading tendency. It thrives when planted in rock gardens next to walls so that it can cascade over them. It can look a little rangy, so it’s not the best option for more formal settings.
With blue-violet flowers and a neater appearance than other types since it doesn’t spread as much, Walker’s Low is a more recent variation.
White Wonder and “Snowflake” are rare white blooming plants that only reach a height of one foot.
The enormous plant and bright blue flowers of Six Hills Giant are well recognized.
Dark blue flowers on 1 to 2 foot tall stems are produced by Blue Wonder.
How can catmint remain in flower throughout the summer?
- ‘Walker’s Low’ plants are 30 inches tall and 36 inches wide, with lavender-blue flowers. As a side note, the name is not short because it derives from an Irish garden. It is actually almost as tall as the “Six Hills Giant.” Walker’s Low was chosen by the Perennial Plant Association as their Perennial of the Year for 2007.
Don’t restrict yourself to just these four options if you feel driven to hunt for catmint in your neighborhood garden centers. Numerous other top-notch cultivars are also readily available, including “Dropmore,” “Blue Wonder,” and “Junior Walker,” a scaled-down variety of “Walker’s Low” that stands 16 inches tall.
- Catmint tends to grow wider than tall, so give it lots of room.
- Even while catmint likes direct sunlight, it can also tolerate moderate afternoon shadow.
- Water new plants or transplants until they can survive on their own. Following that, established plants can withstand heat and drought.
- Never fertilize it again. Catmint prefers well-drained, somewhat fertile soil. In fact, a plant may flip over or split in half if the soil is excessively rich. In that case, trim the plant back to make it look neat. Compost added in the spring or fall will provide the plant the nutrients it needs to thrive.
- After the first blooming flush of the plants has finished, shear them back by a third or more. The plants will be more orderly, their size will be limited, and this will encourage a second rush of blossoms later in the summer. The plant will still bloom often and maintain its lovely appearance during the stifling summer months even without being sheared.
- Over the winter, keep any dead foliage in place to help protect the crown. Wait till the beginning of spring to trim it.
- Divide catmint every three to four years, preferably in the spring or early fall, to maintain it healthy. During the first growing season, until the plants take root, keep it well-watered.
- Catmint varieties can grow to be quite huge. Pinch the plant back in the spring after it has grown a few inches tall to encourage a bushier growth habit if you wish to limit the plant’s total size.
- Cut a vertical chunk off of an established clump of catmint in the spring to reproduce it. Make sure the division has a strong root system and a number of new shoots. Till the plant takes root, keep it well-watered.
- Cuttings can also be used to spread catmint. Before flower buds grow in the spring, clip healthy shoots at a length of three inches. The cuttings should be placed in a moist medium, such as sand or a peat-perlite mixture. Within two to three weeks, they should start to root.
- Catmint is typically unaffected by either pests or illnesses. The only issue that can occasionally arise is leaf spot. There is no consensus that the severity of this fungus illness justifies control measures.
- Experience has taught me that some cats are drawn to catmint. If you’re worried about this, cover newly planted or transplanted catmint with chicken wire to stop your cat from consuming it or rolling about in it.
- This plant attracts butterflies and bees like crazy. Additionally, hummingbirds adore it.
- You’ll adore this plant if your garden is plagued by four-legged animals other than cats. Deer, voles, and rabbits are deterred by the foliage’s minty aroma. THIS is a plant that pays for itself, at last!
Catmint blooms year-round, right?
From early summer through late fall, this catmint is covered in dense, vibrant blooms. Throughout the growing season, its robust growth does not flop and develops into a broad mound.
Height/Spread:
Don’t be misled by the name. This beautiful variety, named after the Irish garden where it was first discovered, bears upright spikes of lavender-blue flowers that are almost a foot long. It produces copious amounts of blossoms for several months, from late spring to midsummer. named the Perennial Plant Association’s 2007 Perennial Plant of the Year.
From May through September, vivid lavender flowers held in thick clusters above appealing mounds of blue-green leaves adorn this compact variety of “Walker’s Low.” Honored for its vigor, floriferous habit, and outstanding groundcover performance, it was chosen as one of Colorado State University’s Top Perennial Performers for the 2013 growing season.
Catmint will it bloom twice?
Nepeta, or catmint, is one of my favorite late-spring blossoming flowers. In USDA Zones 48, this herbaceous perennial is hardy. It is a hardy plant that regularly blooms every year despite challenging weather conditions. The blue, white, or violet flowers that draw bees and hummingbirds to the garden share the stage with the gray-green leaves. The plants will easily blossom again, particularly if you are diligent about deadheading. When content, the plant can spread out to a width of 2 to 3 feet and grows 1 to 2 feet tall. Additionally, it tolerates deer browsing, always a plus. My cat adores catmint, and it is one of the obvious indicators of catmint in my garden. She will spend hours lying in the catmint patch, acting as though she has recently found love.
Catmint is a perennial that is simple to grow, although it does have some issues. Plants can become rangy and wild-looking as they age and tumble over in torrential downpours. Additionally, after a few years, the plant’s center may wither, necessitating division and replanting. Although older types like “Walker’s Low” and “Six Hills Giant” are wonderful to cultivate, they can occasionally suffer the issues mentioned above. Growing some of the more recent catmint varieties on the market is the solution. “Cat’s Meow” maintains its lovely mounded shape throughout the entire season. ‘Purrsian Blue’ features periwinkle flowers and grows even more compact than ‘Cat’s Meow’, reaching only 14 inches tall and 18 inches broad.
Whichever variety of catmint you select, be sure to cover it with compost in the spring and water it regularly during the growing season. Mulching prevents weed growth and helps keep the soil moist. After the first bloom, cut off the dead flowers to encourage the plant to blossom once more. If plants become too big or if you simply want to grow more plants to share, divide them in the spring. In the fall, trim the foliage to the ground and compost it.
Should catmint be deadheaded?
Basic catmint maintenance is simple. Catmint plants need constant watering until they get established. Mulch will aid in moisture retention and control weed growth. Pinch back plants after they reach a height of a few inches (8 cm) to encourage bushier growth.
Throughout the summer and fall, catmint blooms. Deadheading faded blossoms encourages new blossoming. It may also assist in avoiding reseeding. However, Nepeta x faassenii, often known as Faassen’s catmint, does not require deadheading because it is sterile. In the fall or after harvest, shear the plants back to half their original size.
Should I prune my catmint once it blooms?
I make an effort to visit the garden at least once per week to identify the upcoming task. I’m pruning, doing some light weeding, and keeping an eye out for new garden problems right now. On this day, February 8, 2020, I can see that the catmint needs a haircut. They’re wearing a grayish-brown coat from the autumn 2017 collection and they appear pretty winter-haggard.
One of my favorite groundcovers is Nepeta x faassenii, most commonly referred to as catmint. The list of stress-free and simple garden plants undoubtedly includes this sun-loving perennial, which blooms profusely in the summer, is an excellent pollinator plant, and is strong as nails. This cat can be cut back at any time of the year, as severely as you like, and as frequently as you choose.
If you’re preparing for the test, you should know that Nepeta x faassenii and its cultivars are sterile crossbreeds of Persian catmint, Nepeta racemosa, and lesser catmint, Nepeta nepetella. From mid-spring through the fall, masses of violet to dusky-sky blue flowers can be anticipated with very little irrigation. During the summer, if the plant begins to appear overly flowered or worn out, trim it to a height of 6 inches and wait a week.
The plant under consideration today is depicted above. Old, gray growth is visible and is pleading to be carried away and dumped on the enormous compost heap in the sky. A tiny bit of green may be seen peeking through, along with some much younger growth far below.
The plant would currently appear happier and there would be much less grey growth if I had clipped this back at least once throughout the summer.
The new growth is easily seen when you pull the plant to one side. I’ll go right to the good things by cutting everything else. Take note of how the green above and below the plant differs in hue. The yellow-green color (above) is peeling off, exposing the grey-green color (below).
It was far too simple. With my straight nose clippers, it required 12 cuts. With my felcos, I could have finished it in four. I cut the entire plant down to a height of about 2 inches.
I’m done now! Walk away if you feel comfortable with a few dead stalks sticking out. You’ve finished.
Let’s move a little closer if you’re still reading. If those stems are driving you crazy, either remove the entire stem or snip-prune each one back to just above something green.