There are over 250 perennial species in the genus Nepeta, which is a part of the mint family (Lamiaceae). In contrast to actual mints, this square-stemmed ornamental plant progressively widens at the base into a manageable cluster rather of spreading invasively. Nepeta, a plant related to catnip, is a favorite among felines.
Nepeta is a native of many different ecosystems, from Western Asia to the Mediterranean. On thin stems, usually topped with spikes of tubular, two-lipped blue or blue-violet flowers, it has aromatic, gray-green, velvety foliage. It grows well in any well-drained soil in either full sun or moderate shade, even when neglected. It enjoys a lean soil and somewhat dry growth environment, both of which stimulate its blossoming and aroma. It requires no fertilizer. Additionally, it flourishes in containers.
Once established, neceta is drought tolerant, deer resistant, and unaffected by other wildlife pests like rabbits, raccoons, or quail while luring bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Nepeta is one of many aromatic, gray leaf plants.
Individually tiny tubular flowers are clustered on spikes at stem tips, yet their profusion gives the impression that the plants are almost completely covered. As long as individual stems are deadheaded or the entire plant is sheared in half after the first blooms fade approximately halfway through the summer, flowering will continue prolifically from early summer through fall. Cut the entire clump to the ground in the winter or the first few days of spring to make room for new stems.
Divide plants after shearing when they grow congested, then transplant them somewhere in your garden or give them away to friends. If the wasted blooms are not removed, some species readily self-sow. Any errant seedlings can be readily removed.
Nepeta faassenii and N. racemosa varieties, the latter of which is occasionally referred to as N. mussinii, make up the majority of catmints sold in Sonoma County. The majority of varieties attain heights of 11/2 to 2 feet, but a few, such “Six Hills Giant” and “Walker’s Low,” which both benefit from support to keep long stems from toppling over, grow to nearly 3 feet.
Nepetas with slower growth rates thrive nicely in pots, rock gardens, and over retaining walls. To contrast their wispy appearance with taller, stronger plants and to create a fountain-like effect, use them as edging along borders in perennial gardens.
Most garden plants can comfortably coexist with the lavender-blue flowers and neutral gray-green foliage, especially other Mediterranean species. Some varieties can have richer purple, pink, or white flowers.
Is nepeta a North American native plant?
Nepeta cataria, sometimes referred to as catnip, catswort, catwort, and catmint, is a member of the genus Nepeta and family Lamiaceae. It is a native of southern and eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and some regions of China. In northern Europe, New Zealand, and North America, it has become widely naturalized. [1][2][3][4][5] The genus as a whole can also be referred to by the popular name catmint.
Due of the strong attraction that approximately two thirds of cats have to it, the names catnip and catmint were created (alternative plants exist).
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[7] In addition to being used with cats, catnip is prized for its hypnotic and relaxing qualities and is a common ingredient in several herbal teas (or tisanes). [8] [9]
Nepeta catmint: is it invasive?
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.
Is catnip a noxious plant?
Nepeta cataria is a perennial plant with whitish flowers that grows to a height of two to three feet. Catnip prefers a well-drained soil with some moisture and access to sunlight. It is hardy to at least Zone 4. The plant is resistant to deer, has few insect pests, and is seen as a desirable plant by some pollinators, including honeybees and bumblebees.
This plant’s native regions are Europe and Asia, where people have long utilized it both as a culinary ingredient and as a natural remedy. These days, catnip is produced for its leaves and oils as well as for decorative purposes.
The plant was probably brought to North America by European immigrants, where it is today regarded as naturalized. Naturalized refers to the non-native catnip’s ability to spread and persist without human intervention. In Minnesota, catnip is not currently categorized as a state noxious weed or restricted plant. Catnip is still regarded as an invasive species in some states, including West Virginia.
In essence, the catnip I found was a weed, but not a very difficult one. In prior years, I noticed that when compared to other infamous weeds like lambsquarters, catnip was given a pass (Chenopodium album).
Catnip does, in fact, frequently face competition from other weeds when planted on farms. In a 2004 study from Iowa State University, plots of weedy catnip produced roughly half as much as those without weeds. St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), another examined herb, produced the same amount of yield regardless of the presence or absence of weeds.
Where is cat mint originally from?
Catmint is a variety of species and hybrids of the herbaceous perennial Lamiaceae (mint) family. Eastern Tropical Africa and Macaronesia are where catmint first appeared. Due to its potent aroma, which cats find alluring, catmint is known as such.
It needs full sun and good drainage for catmint. Once established, it is tolerant of drought. It tolerates a variety of soil types, including clay, loam, sand, and shallow rocky soil, and will flourish there. Shear off fading blooms to promote fresh growth and a subsequent blooming wave. Catmint tends to group together. It can be multiplied via division or seed.
Catmint is a plant that is commonly used in gardens to deter pests like aphids and squash bugs. The edible leaves have a minty flavor.
Catmint thrives in meadows, native regions, and cottage gardens thanks to its spreading shape. It thrives in pots, where it is positioned between rocks in a rock garden, or where it is planted alongside sidewalks.
There are no serious issues with insects, diseases, or other plant issues, though it can be a little weedy.
Is catnip a New England native?
American colonists were accustomed to using catnip as a medicine, either topically or in baths or tea. Despite being of Eurasian origin, catnip naturalized fast and was recorded to have escaped in Virginia by 1739 and New England in 1670.
Catnip: Is it a wild plant?
Nepeta cataria, also known as catnip, is a perennial herb that grows wild in regions of North America, Europe, and China. It belongs to the mint family and is most closely related to several Nepeta mussinii species, which are more generally known as “catmint. True catnip, which most cats adore, is nepeta cataria. Being more “It is a less beautiful, weedy-appearing plant than other catmint kinds. However, when dried, the plants essentially blend together, and catmint is occasionally offered for sale as catnip. Catmint rarely causes a reaction in cats, but occasionally it does. The same is true with catnip reactivity. According to Scientific American, it is genetically determined and affects between 70 and 80 percent of cats. Make sure you are using genuine catnip if your cat doesn’t seem to enjoy it. If your cat is one among the 20 to 30% of cats who don’t react, it may just be another green plant to them.
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.
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.