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.
Why isn’t my catmint gaining height?
One of my favorite plants is nepeta, sometimes called catmint. Of course, cats are particularly fond of catnip, one of its constituents. Consider the old proverb “If you set it, the cats will eat it” if you’re having difficulties keeping your catnip or catmint plants alive in the garden. The cats are unaware that you sow it. Cats appear to ignore catnip seeds but adore transplants. But enough about Felix—discuss let’s catmint’s lovely qualities instead!
Catmint is robust, simple to grow, and resistant to deer and rabbits. Early in the summer, the flowers with hues of white, pink, or lavender blue emerge from the grey-green foliage. After blossoming, if you cut it back, it will produce more blooms later in the summer. The floppy, untamed habit of the 2-foot-tall plant is possible. As a result, it thrives when spilling over a wall, sprawling beneath a rose, or stepping in between other perennials that have received better care. Some more recent types, such “Cats’ Meow” and “Purrsian Blue,” only reach heights of 12 to 18 inches, maintain a more upright posture, and produce sterile seeds, making them less prone to spread like weeds in your garden.
Grow Catmint
Neglect is ideal for catmint. A lot of lengthy, frail foliage with few flowers is the result of adding too much water, compost, or fertilizer. To produce more catmints, you can divide the plants in the early spring, although it’s not necessary. It will cheerfully bloom every year and gradually get bigger over time.
Does catmint reappear each year?
- ‘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!
How long does catmint take to grow?
In the fall or very early spring, sow seeds outside. Better stands result from planting in the fall. Under ideal circumstances, seeds germinate in five to ten days, but in colder soil, this time can increase to twenty days. Thin the plants to 18 inches apart when they are 2 to 5 inches tall. After 12 to 15 weeks, you can start picking leaves. If cats frequently visit your garden, use wire netting to protect young plants.
How much time does catmint require to grow from a seed?
TRANSPLANT: SOWING (recommended) begin in the spring 6–8 weeks before the last frost. Place the seeds firmly into the soil mixture and softly cover. Pinch back the developing tips of the seedlings when they are 2-3 weeks old for fuller, bushier plants “tall. Plant outside in mid-spring, ages 12 to 18 “or spread out in a container.
CHOICE OF LIGHT: Sun/Part Shade. Catmint tolerates full light but grows best in partial shade. Average, well-drained soil is needed.
HARVEST: Throughout the season, foliage can be pruned as needed. Use the dried leaves for tea or potpourri. If deadheaded, the plants will intermittently bloom into the fall.
Does catmint withstand frost?
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.
Which fertilizer is ideal for catmint?
Nepata, sometimes known as catmint, is a magnificent plant for perennial gardens or mixed beds. It swiftly disperses and can withstand heat, drought, and poor soil. In fact, before long you’ll probably be lending it to others.
Catmint is a relative of catnip but is more flamboyant. It is hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 7. When a plant reaches maturity, it develops a rounded, bushy shape with hundreds of tall, lovely stalks. Small, pinnate, gray-green leaves that resemble mint leaves grow on the stalks. Early summer brings on a flood of blooms from the plants, and if you prune them back, they will bloom once again. The most typical color is bluish-purple, however certain variants also exist in pink, white, and even yellow.
Catmint will draw the neighborhood cats, just like catnip does. The plant’s constituents have a slight hallucinogenic or sleepy effect on cats. Even if you don’t have a cat of your own, the plant may have flattened spots where cats have rolled around. Spread a sheet of bird netting over the plants to prevent this frolicking. Catmint not only draws cats, but also bees, moths, and butterflies. The plants are alive with bumblebee and honeybee activity when they are in full bloom. Catmint shouldn’t be grown close to entrances or play areas due to this.
Depending on the kind, catmint can grow to be 12 inches tall or 36 inches tall. Give it plenty of room and divide it every three to four years because it can spread up to three feet in one season. Over the winter, it typically dies back to the ground.
Planting Catmint
Catmint can be grown from seed, divisions from a buddy, or nursery transplants. After the last anticipated frost, sow the seeds outside or start them indoors four to six weeks prior to planting. The most dependable approach to grow this plant is by divisions or transplants because some types are infertile and hybrids may not grow true to seed. Except in regions with extremely hot and dry weather, where it may tolerate some afternoon shadow, catmint blooms best in full sun. It is not necessary for the soil to be especially rich, but it must have good drainage. Prior to planting, incorporate some manure and compost into the soil.
Depending on how big they will be when mature, place the plants 12 to 24 inches apart. For the first four weeks following planting, water the plants often. The plants are drought-tolerant once they are established, but they thrive when watered once a week.
Before new growth appears, fertilize catmints in the spring by spreading 1/4 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer around the base of the plant. After the first bloom, trim the plants back by at least one-third. If they get out of control over the summer, you can trim them again, but wait until late August to do so.
Catmint Problems and Pests
Catmint shouldn’t cause you any issues as long as the soil drains correctly. But in wet soils, root rot is widespread. In humid, warm environments, catmint can spread. To tame it, give it lots of room and divide it periodically.
Catmint Varieties
The most widely cultivated variety is Faassen’s catmint (Nepeta X faassenii). The height of this plant varies from 12 inches to 24 inches. Because it is sterile, Faassen’s catmint won’t self-sow like other species. Among the varieties are “Kit Kat,” which reaches a height of 2 feet and blooms for a long time, “White Wonder,” which, as its name suggests, has white flowers, and “Six Hills Giant,” which reaches a height of 4 feet and has spikes of 12 inch purple blooms.
Cold-tolerant Siberian catmint (Nepeta sibirica) can reach heights of two to three feet. Compared to Faassen’s catmint, this plant has bigger leaves and bluish-purple blooms.
If your soil is damp, Japanese catmint (Nepeta subsessilis) is the plant for you. On 2 foot tall stalks, it produces lavender to pink blossoms.
The Himalayan native yellow catmint (Nepeta govaniana) flowers in the middle to end of July. If you can’t get it locally, look in garden catalogs and internet resources.
What are some wintertime uses for catmint?
Many catmint variants, including the 3-foot-tall cultivar ‘Six Hills Giant’ (Nepeta x ‘Six Hills Giant’) and compact varieties like ‘Blue Dwarf’ (Nepeta x ‘Blue Dwarf’), are planted in gardens for their delicate blue blooms and fragrant foliage. Catmint can be found growing in zones 3a to 8a of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plant hardiness chart, where it is utilized as a low-maintenance perennial in water-conserving landscaping.
In order to remove their late season growth, which is frequently coarse and weedy appearing, catmint needs to be severely pruned in late autumn or early winter. It’s a quick and simple process that will keep your yard neat and clean throughout the winter while also removing hiding places for garden pests.
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.