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.
Does Nepeta return each year?
Nepeta is a dependable perennial that grows regularly year after year. It is extremely hardy and tolerant of all environmental factors. When the growing circumstances are unsuitable for lavender, catmint can be used as a viable substitute, creating clouds of light blue and mauve in a garden. Nepeta is beneficial for growing in more challenging sections of the garden since it tolerates a wide range of growth circumstances, such as partial shade, dry weather, and drought zones.
While Lavender cannot survive in wetter conditions, Catmint can withstand them; Lavender needs considerably drier conditions, especially in the winter. As a Mediterranean plant, lavender will struggle on heavier, wetter ground. In contrast to catmint, which can grow practically everywhere, it needs to be dry, in well-drained soil, and in the sun. Nepeta is less picky about where it grows because it is native to many different settings. Catmint can thrive in full or partial sunlight, as well as in damp or dry soil. It can practically be grown everywhere and is incredibly tough. It will only not tolerate really soggy terrain. It has a long flowering period and occasionally produces a second flush of flowers if you cut it down.
Nepeta is quite simple to establish once it is planted. The added benefit is that pollinators and bees find it incredibly alluring. On a warm day, a clump will be buzzing with the sound of bees as you pass it. It is a plant that grows well in practically any environment and doesn’t require feeding, which can cause it to become lanky. As its name implies, it is appealing to creatures other than bees. Insert a few sticks to prevent cats from rolling on your Nepeta if you don’t like cats and don’t want that to happen. The sticks will blend in with the plant growth and will be undetectable to cats. If you enjoy cats, you might just want to stand by and observe how crazy they become when they see cat mint, running after it and rolling around.
Should Nepeta be deadheaded?
Deadheading is beneficial if done frequently during the growth season since it promotes perennials to continue blooming. Nepeta can be pruned back after flowering for a new growth spurt and further display of flowers.
Which Nepeta blooms the longest?
Crushed foliage has a strong perfume that is spicy and minty. Growing in arid, lean soil produces the strongest scent.
Don’t fertilize, particularly in richer soils. The flower stems will droop and produce fewer flowers if there is too much fertilizer applied.
Upkeep: Almost entirely free of maintenance. For a fresh rush of flowers in August, spent summer blossoms can be shorn off in the middle of the season. every three to four years, or if the plant starts to lose vigor.
Alternative: Draws pollinators and butterflies. resistant to deer and rabbits. slight salt tolerance
The “Six Hills Giant” One of the tallest catmints is called Nepeta. Because it is more resilient to moist environments and simpler to grow next to thirstier plants, “Six Hills Giant” is a favorite among gardeners. Additionally, it has one of the Nepeta’s longest blooming periods.
Strong, fragrant leaves with a broad growth pattern. The gorgeous violet blue blossoms of the catmint have the longest blooming season. ‘Six Hills Giant’ produces a lot of flowers in June and July, but they last far into the fall. These broad plants make a good ground cover for big estates and are great for slopes that frequently experience heat and dryness.
Cut the plant back in the early spring to just 6 inches above the ground. Every three to four years, when vigor and blossoming wane, divide. Since “Six Hills Giant” is sterile, division is another method of reproduction.
Average well-drained soil that can handle sandy and dry conditions is what the soil needs. pH neutral.
Small, oval, soft gray-green leaves on solitary stems make up the foliage. The dwarf plant’s stature is appropriate for the relatively small size of the leaves.
A charming dwarf catmint called “Kit Cat” is ideal for front borders and smaller gardens. The small plant looks beautiful planted among rocks on a slope, along garden stairs, or even in pots as a garden border. While ‘Kit Cat’ will benefit from little afternoon shade in hot Southern climes, full sun is ideal in cooler climates.
‘Kit Cat’ blossoms are tiny but abundant, and when they are in bloom, they produce a thick blue cloud. After the blooms have faded, trim back to promote another flush for the end of summer. ‘Kit Cat’ works well in your garden beds that need a little moisture because it is not quite as drought tolerant as most Nepeta. Cut back the plant before the first flower stalks appear for an even more compact plant.
Average well-drained soil is required; it tolerates dry clay as well as poor, rocky soil. pH neutral.
Nepeta spreads, right?
Nepeta comes in several hundred different species, in addition to numerous other selections (cultivars) that have been chosen for better garden performance. However, I advise using caution when getting catmint plants for your yard. I strongly advise staying away from any Nepeta that is grown from seed, and only planting sterile hybrids. The catmints that are generated from seeds can spread quickly over the garden and smother nearby plants.
Over the years, I’ve experimented with a variety of Nepeta species and varieties in my gardens. And based on my personal experiences, I can heartily suggest two exceptional, sterile (produces no seeds), long-blooming kinds.
- Select Blue Nepeta is a low-growing, non-spreading plant with lovely lavender-blue flowers that I chose back in the early 1990s from a patch of plants I discovered in an office park landscape. Shear off the flower spikes just above the leaves in the early summer after the first flush of flowers has gone to encourage the plants to blossom later in the season.
- Walker’s Low Nepeta: This cultivar, which was not given its name for its size but rather after an English castle, features eye-catching deep blue flowers on tall flower spikes. ‘Walker’s Low’ blooms for several months from late spring to mid-summer and develops as a tidy, non-suckering, well-behaved plant. Stronger reblooming will result with deadheading, which involves shearing off the faded flower spikes just above the foliage.
Catmint blooms all summer long?
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.
Is catmint the same as nepeta?
These two plants can be mistaken for one another by using different names, although they are actually distinct species. Catnip is Nepeta cataria, while catmint is Nepeta mussinii, both of which are members of the mint family. The following are some further variations and parallels between the two plants:
While catmint is frequently used as a lovely, flowering perennial in beds, catnip has a weedier aspect.
Catnip blooms less frequently than catmint. Typically, catnip blooms are white. Flowers on catmint are lavender.
Is catnip and catmint different from one another?
Nepeta cataria, a plant native to Europe and a close relative of the mints, produces catnip (spearmint, peppermint, pennyroyal, etc). The plant or dried herb attracts a lot of cats, and the smell might cause odd behavior patterns. Licking, chewing, head shaking, chin and cheek stroking, rolling, and salivation are a few of these actions. The herb only has an effect on roughly two-thirds of domestic cats. Other cat species, such as lions, leopards, and jaguars, are also impacted. A common folk treatment for fevers, colds, cramps, and headaches is catnip.
Catnip offers therapeutic benefits for both humans and cats, in addition to having insecticidal characteristics. Nepetalactone is the substance in catnip that is active (a component of essential oil extracted from catnip). Nepatalactone is an insect repellent that was developed by Iowa State University researchers in the early 2000s for use against cockroaches, mosquitoes, mites, ticks, spiders, termites, and other pests. Since then, it hasn’t been included in insect repellents that are sold commercially.
Additionally promising for crop protection is catnip oil. In a study, collard greens intercropped with catnip (placed in alternate rows) decreased the prevalence of flea beetles, an insect that is extremely harmful to collards. It has also been demonstrated that catnip extracts can repel harmful insects and the adult and larval stages of the Colorado potato beetle. Caterpillars, moths, and butterflies cannot be harmed by catnip extracts.
Catnip is comparatively simple to cultivate, accepts a wide range of soil types, and if not controlled, has the potential to spread beyond your garden. There are numerous seed firms that sell seed. Since the seed is so tiny, it can be directly sown on garden soil that has been thoroughly prepared and covered with 1/8″ of dirt. As an alternative, it can be planted in a flat after it has five sets of leaves. If you have cats, you might need to keep them away from it until it is established and mature. Once planted, each plant should endure for a number of years. Cutting the root mass in half and replanting allows you to divide established plants. Grow the plants where they have enough room because they can grow rather huge (3 feet tall).
Prior to blossoming, trim stems to gather catnip (early to mid summer). Leaves should be taken off of stems. In a well-ventilated place away from direct sunshine, spread the leaves out on a screen or tray. To provide aeration, turn the leaves once per day. It ought to be dry enough to crumble into flakes after two to three weeks. Put dried flakes in a container with a tight lid or a plastic bag that can be sealed. A few catnip plants will give you a year-round supply if you adore cats.
While similar to catnip in appearance, catmint (Nepeta x faassenii) does not energize cats. It is a mounded shrub with lovely gray-green foliage that grows slowly. Early summer and again throughout the monsoon season are when its abundant blue flowers bloom. Once planted, it is tolerant to both heat and drought. It can self-seed and grow (almost to the point of becoming weedy). These hardy perennials can withstand USDA zone 4 conditions and do well in mountain gardens. The majority of herbivores, including deer, are not drawn to catmint. The majority of gardeners think it makes a fine perennial border plant.
Bees and other beneficial insects are attracted to catnip and catmint. Catnip typically only blooms once per season, but when it does, bees and other nectar-feeding insects are drawn to it. I saw solitary bees feasting on nectar in the early summer, honeybees utilizing it in the middle to late summer, and bee flies and hawk moths using it in the late summer due to catmint’s prolonged bloom time. I cultivate both catmint and catnip. Cats use the catnip that has been gathered. All summer long, the catmint offers beneficial insects both beauty and sustenance. Photos and links to more information are provided below.