Catmint

About Catmint

Catmint is a tough, sprawling perennial with gray-green, scented leaves and clouds of small lavender-blue flowers from late spring into fall. It is not catnip: the common hybrid, Nepeta x faassenii, is a sterile cross first raised at a Dutch nursery, and Wisconsin Extension says cats usually ignore it. Bees love it, and deer and rabbits leave it alone.

Wisconsin rates 'Walker's Low' for zones 3-8 and NC State lists Nepeta x faassenii for 5-9; in Chicago trials, soggy soil, not cold, killed plants over winter.

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Because 'Walker's Low' and most hybrid catmints set no seed, new plants come from spring division or from 3-inch non-flowering side shoots taken in June or July, which root in about 4 weeks (Wisconsin). Plant potted catmint in early spring or in fall, at least 6 weeks before a hard freeze (Clemson).

Soil

Any well-drained soil, from sand to clay loam; plants tolerate drought once rooted but rot in wet winter soil (NC State; Chicago Botanic Garden).

Any well-drained soil works; the key is drainage, since wet winter soil kills more catmint than cold (Chicago Botanic Garden).

Feeding

Skip routine fertilizer: Chicago Botanic Garden's top-rated catmints got none, and MSU notes some perennials respond badly to regular feeding with floppy, leafy growth. A 1-inch layer of compost is enough.

Harvest

The first big flush opens in late spring or early summer and many kinds keep going into September or October. When the first flush fades, cut plants back by a third to a half for fresh leaves and more flowers (Wisconsin; NC State); 'Walker's Low' and similar types rebloom even without it (Chicago Botanic Garden).

Varieties (22)

Good neighbors

Bee balm

Wisconsin Extension suggests catmint with roses, bee balm, Shasta daisies and ornamental grasses for looks; no extension trial tests it as a pest-control companion.

Diseases and problems

Powdery mildew, Root rot

In the kitchen

Safety: The sources we checked list no toxic parts for garden catmint and no research-based guidance on pregnancy, drug interactions or allergies.

Pets: Garden catmint (Nepeta x faassenii) is not listed by the ASPCA. Its cousin catnip (Nepeta cataria, which the ASPCA also calls catmint or catswort) is listed as toxic to cats: it can cause vomiting and diarrhea and makes some cats sleepy and others wound up (ASPCA).