Nepeta can be planted beginning in October and continuing through May or June as long as you leave 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) between each plant.
- Although it can tolerate little shade, nepeta prefers full sun.
- It enjoys well-drained soil of any quality.
- Nepeta has the finest flavor when it is grown in direct sunlight.
When should catmint be planted?
The perennial herb genus Nepeta, which also includes catnip, is known as catmint (Nepeta cataria). They are very pest- and problem-free plants that are incredibly simple to grow. Nepeta has beautiful, lacy-looking gray-green leaves that is mildly fragrant. Early in the summer, its swaying leaves is crowned with spikes of flowers, which continue to bloom all season. White, pink, or lavender-blue flowers are all possible.
The majority of catmint species have a slightly expansive growth habit, which makes them great plants for running down paths and border planting spaces. There are a few tall-growing types with a more upright habit, including “Six Hills Giant,” though. Catmint is resistant to deer, like many other plants with fragrant gray foliage. It spreads swiftly and may be planted from spring to early fall in most regions.
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.
Can Nepeta be planted in the fall?
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.
Nepeta like the shade or the sun.
- Nepeta x faassenii (Faassen’s catmint): This hybrid, with sterile flowers that don’t self-sow and don’t require deadheading, is by far the most widely cultivated variety employed for ornamental purposes.
- Nepeta subsessilis (Japanese catmint) is a wonderful choice for colder, wetter areas because, in contrast to other types, it prefers moist soil and some shade.
- Nepeta racemosa, also referred to as dwarf catmint: This species grows slowly and creates circular mounds that are as wide as the plants themselves. It is frequently used as a vibrant groundcover and grows between 12 and 18 inches tall.
Is catmint the same as catnip?
Compared to catmint, catnip (Nepeta cataria) has a stronger scent. It lacks ornamental qualities and has a propensity to grow weedy and invasively. It is primarily useful in the garden for cooking or as an insect repellent for particular pests including mosquitoes, aphids, and squash bugs.
Can catmint endure the winter?
Catnip has a good level of cold tolerance and thrives in zones 3 through 9. However, growing catnip outside can be problematic in particularly cold winters or in colder areas. It might be important to offer catnip plants some protection and additional care throughout the winter if you want them to return healthy and productively each spring. This is crucial if you reside in the cooler, northern regions of its growing region.
Catmint vs. Catnip
Which is better, catnip or catmint? Plant common names can be confusing, especially when they sound so similar. Nepeta cataria, a widespread member of the mint family with white flowers that can be found all over the United States, particularly in disturbed areas, is known as catnip. These low-growing plants are a favorite among cats, and dried leaf cat toys are known to drive cats crazy.
On the other hand, catmint, another member of the mint family, is a stunning decorative plant that is hardy and flexible but is not as well-liked by domestic cats.
Walker’s Low Catmint: Nearly Perfect
Nepeta faassenii, often known as Walker’s Low catmint, has long served as the benchmark catmint in western gardens. In May, mounds of glistening periwinkle blue flowers begin to open, continuing for one to two months.
The blooms are a haven for hummingbirds, moths, butterflies, and bees, but deer and rabbits appear to avoid them. Catmints are nearly ideal plants since they can withstand drought, bloom for a long time, and withstand our harsh weather.
That is, almost flawless, barring two aspects. The weight of the blooms eventually causes the stalks to drop, opening and flattening the plant’s core, which causes all catmints to flop out a little after blooming.
The majority of catmints found at garden centers are fertile, which means that after blooming and receiving pollinator fertilization, they set viable seeds that disperse throughout the garden and result in an abundance of seedlings growing. Free seedlings are occasionally appreciated (especially those of such a lovely plant), but they are frequently an annoyance.
One more warning: Walker’s Low isn’t actually that “low.” Walker’s Low has a height range of 24 to 30 inches, which is quite low compared to Six Hills Giant, the previous benchmark for garden catmints, which reaches a height of 3 feet. Walker’s Low is actually not as low as its name suggests considering how little it is!
Little Trudy: Compact and Not a Spreader
Try Little Trudy catmint if you want a catmint with a neater appearance, one that stays compact and is more suited for small gardens, or one that won’t seed itself.
Before being released by Plant Select in 2008, Little Trudy was found at Little Valley Wholesale Nursery in Brighton, Colorado, and tested at Colorado State University and the Denver Botanic Gardens. It begins to bloom in the late spring and will continue to softly blossom all summer long. When crushed, the tiny, grey-green leaves release a pleasant scent.
Wildlife benefits: Pollinators such as moths, bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are drawn to stalks of small, purple-blue blooms.
Growing advice: If desired, prune back the first heavy flush of blooms; a second full flush will occur later in the summer.
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.
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.
invasive Nepeta catmint?
They believed it would entice cats to prey on rodents hiding about the farm or house. However, current research suggests that catmint may not just be discovered around the foundations of historic European homes and barns. According to a recent USDA study, termites are unlikely to dig tunnels through soil where catmint flourishes. Naturally, a moat made of this plant would prevent these pests from penetrating the wood of a hut or cottage.
Termites, mosquitoes, and cockroaches are all repelled by the same chemical that draws cats. Nepeta cataria, also referred to as common catnip, is a plant that contains it. Nepetalactone, a terpene found in these herbs, has been shown to be several times more effective at repelling insects than harmful DEET. To influence a cat, the plants release oils that must be breathed rather than consumed. This explains why cats are so prone to rolling around in catmint plants. More volatile oils are released from the leaves when it is bruised. Cats can detect airborne odors down to one part per billion.
Not all felines react the same way to these herbs. In fact, roughly 30% of household cats might not even respond to catmint. It’s a hereditary reaction that can vary in intensity from person to person and is inherited. Strangely, until they are at least 3 months old, extremely young kittens rarely react to nepetalactone.
There are a dizzying variety of plants in the genus Nepeta. The large invasive plant known as real catmint is described above. It grows to a height of three feet and bears few white blooms. It usually only appears in herb gardens and has very nothing to recommend it in terms of aesthetics. Due to its hardiness up to Zone 3, it is a fantastic choice for gardens in the north.
Through natural cross-pollination and human breeding, numerous species have been introduced into gardens over time and transformed into new varieties. The outcome is a wide variety of garden-worthy catmints that are much better prospects for your yard than the usual kind. Keep in mind that these immigrants won’t be as resistant to the cold as the species is. The majority, but not all, are sterile, preventing plants from spreading outward in the absence of viable seed. Simply deadhead the flowers after they are spent to stop seed formation in order to completely avoid self sowing.
The Six Hills Giant, which stands 3 feet tall, is the most impressive version. Late in the summer, foot-long spikes of dark violet blooms appear on lush, spherical plants. It is generally accessible and a superb option for novice growers.
Nepeta racemosa “Walker’s Low,” which has a shorter size, is an excellent edging plant. A gentle carpet of blue fills up the front of a border. It only grows to a height of 18 inches but produces dense clusters of vividly blue flower spikes. Walkers Low and Six Hills are resilient to Zone 5.
Catmints typically grow best in sandy, well-drained soils, although they will grow almost anywhere that isn’t moist. Late in the growing season, they can become rangy, and regular trimming is beneficial to prevent the taller forms from flopping in the rain.
Today, catmint merits another look as a natural pest deterrent for eco-friendly dwellings. wherever there is a chance of infestation, plant. Kittie won’t overdose, though, as cats all seem to have a sense of proportion.