Introduction
It’s catmint (Nepeta) is one of the most beloved perennials that is renowned for its beautiful leaves, gorgeous blue-blue flowers and its easy-care characteristics. It is the most popular choice for people who garden. Catmint is drought-resistant, attracts pollinators and creates beautiful flowing waterfalls that flow through containers, borders and rocks. It doesn’t matter if your experience as a gardener or an enthusiast of plants. This guide will provide you with all the information you need to know about growing and utilizing catmint in your garden.
Why Grow Catmints?
Catmint is an essential plant to be included in every garden. It offers numerous advantages:
Drought-Tolerant is excellent for landscaping that has the lowest concentrations of water. Bees that attract pollinators like butterflies and the hummingbirds love it.
It is Deer & Rabbit Resistant A great choice for areas that are prone for wildlife.
Flowers of the long-blooming season bloom from late spring to autumn.
Simple Maintenance Lasts as long as there is the smallest amount of attention.
Popular Catmint Varieties: Choosing the Right One for Your Garden
The Catmint (Nepeta) is a gorgeous variety of each of them, each with its own unique characteristics that make them suitable for all types of gardens. If you’re looking for a tiny border as well as large-scale sculptures, or cat-friendly plants, you’ll find the perfect catmint to meet your requirements. Let’s look at the most sought-after varieties in more detail.
Nepeta x faassenii (Faassen’s Catmint)
Height 12-18 inches
Spread 18-24 inches
Bloom Timing: Late spring to the beginning of autumn
Great for containers and borders and ground cover
Key Features:
- The most widely produced decorative catmint
- A soft gray-green fragrant plant.
- Blue lavender flowers that bloom in a continuous fashion when deadheaded
- Sterile (doesn’t self-seed) and is not invasive.
- Drought-tolerant in line with established
Design TIP: It’s perfect to be used as a border for paths, or for plants in bulk for an accent of color. It is ideal to combine with salvias and roses.
Nepeta racemosa “Walker’s Low”
Height 18-24 inches
Spread of 24 to 36 inches
Bloom Time: May to September
The ideal for small gardens and slopes, pollinator gardens, slopes
Key Features:
- Perennial Plant Association’s 2007 Plant of the Year
- Long blooming time that requires only minimal care
- Deep lavender blue-blue flowers that are arranged in an arch
- Attracts bees and butterflies and bees, while also restraining deer
- Does not like dry or poor soil conditions.
Interesting Information: Contrary to its description (‘Low’), this cultivar actually grows to medium-sized sizes!
Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’
Height of 24 to 36 inches
Spread 36-48 inches
Bloom Time: The summertime from the beginning of summer to the end of autumn
The best choice option for Borders to the side, in wild gardens and huge areas
Key Features:
- The one of the most potent catmint types.
- Large sprays of violet blue flowers
- An upright, solid habit of growing
- Excellent for filling large spaces quickly
- Highly drought resistant
Maintenance Tip: You may require the staking of trees in fertile soils in which it is expanding more quickly.
Nepeta cataria (True Catnip)
Height 24-36 inches
Spread 24 – 36 inches
Bloom Time: Summer
The ideal choice for the cat and herb gardeners in addition to the therapeutic benefits
Key Features:
- The plant that is most sought-after for its cat-attracting (contains the Nepetalactone)
- Flowers of white with purple spots
- Leafs can dry to create cat-friendly toys, or tea made of herbs.
- Weeds’ appearance are more appealing than ornamental plants
- Self-seeding is easy
Attention: Stay clear of garden ornaments as cats could be a nuisance and damage the garden.
Nepeta ‘Blue Wonder’
The range of heights is 12 to 15 inches
Spread 18-24 inches
Bloom Timing From late spring until the close of summer
The ideal for edge gardens, rock gardens and smaller areas
Key Features:
- Compact, tidy growth habit
- Profuse deep blue flowers
- Perfect for containers with small sizes and gardens. Great for small
- Spread tends to be less controlled than other types
Nepeta subsessilis (Japanese Catmint)
A height of between 24 and 30 inches
Spread 18-24 inches
Bloom Time: Summer
The best choice for cutting flowers and for areas that are damp.
Key Features:
- More attractive, bigger flowers compared to other kinds
- Can withstand more humidity than most catmints.
- Pink or lavender blooms
- Sturdy stems work excellent for cutting
How to Grow Catmint: Planting & Care Guide
1. Choosing the Right Location
- Full sun in the morning (6plus hours) to ensure the highest quality flowers. It can tolerate some shade.
- Soil drainage soil, which flourishes soils that are moderate to poor.
- Spacing is between 12-24 inches from each other, based on the plant type.
2. Planting Catmint
- The Best Time to Begin Spring or the Beginning in autumn.
- The best way to grow? Make an area larger than the ball of root. place it in the hole, and then fill it back with dirt. Make sure to water it thoroughly.
3. Watering & Feeding
- The drought tolerance of watering following the establishment of watering. It is conducted each week throughout the initial season.
- Fertilizer: Not often required, spring compost suffices.
4. Pruning & Maintenance
- Deadheading stimulates blooms to rebloom. Cut back the flowers half way following the first flower.
- Divide every 3-4 years in order to maintain the strength in the human body.
5. Pests & Problems
- Never be bothered by pests or diseases.
- Be cautious not to soak your roots too much in order to prevent developing rot.
Design Ideas: Using Catmint in Your Garden
The gentle mounding of Catmint creates an herb that can be used in many ways:
Border Plant It’s a wonderful plant to pair with salvia, roses, and lavender.
Ground Cover – Low-growing varieties like ‘Blue Wonder’ spread nicely.
Rock Gardens – Drought tolerance is what makes it ideal for areas with dry soils.
Container planting combines well ornamental and trailing grasses as well as other plants.
Catmint Versus Catnip: What’s the difference?
While both fall under the Nepeta Genus, they serve different purposes:
FeatureCatmint (Nepeta x faassenii)Catnip (Nepeta cataria)AppearanceOrnamental, lavender flowersWeedy, white flowersCat AppealMildly attractive to catsHighly attractive to catsGarden UseLandscaping, bordersHerb garden, cat toy filler.
Companion Plants: Perfect Pairings for Catmint
The soft, fluffy look is the hallmark of Catmint and its blue-purple flowers makes it an ideal companion for many gardening favorites. These are the most suitable plants to pair together:
- The delicate green leaves of Catmint are strikingly contrasted with roses and help to repel bugs such as Aphids.
- Both lavender and lavender flourish in sunny, well-drained soils. They produce the most pleasant and pollinator-friendly mix.
- Salvia Flowers that have spiky salvia complement the catmint’s mounding look.
- Ornamental grasses – Provides motion as well as texture (e.g. blue fescue, fountain grass).
- Echinacea (Coneflowers) are an intense color that attracts additional pollinators.
Pro Tip Catmint is a plant that can be planted in your vegetable gardens to repel insects like squash bugs and attract positive insects.
How to Propagate Catmint: Seeds, Cuttings & Division
Are you seeking to increase the size of your catmint plant without charge? Here’s how you can increase the number of catmint plants in a short time:
By Seed
- Seeds must be planted within 6-8 weeks before the last frost. They can also be planted directly in the garden in spring.
- A little soil is used to cover the plants. Catmint seeds need sunlight in order to thrive.
By Stem Cuttings
- Cut off 4-6 inches from healthy stems in springtime.
- Lower leaves should be removed and dip them into the growing hormone.
- Plant in a container that is damp. The roots should grow in two to three weeks.
By Division
- The ideal time to use it is during the fall, or in the spring.
- The plant is pulled up, so break the root ball into pieces and plant it all over again.
What is Propagate? Reduces costs and fills up empty areas in the garden and provides great gardening gifts!
Catmint in Winter: Care & Protection Tips
Catmint can be tough (zones 3-9) But, a little of planning for winter will help ensure a successful return
Fall Pruning Cut 3 inches after the initial frost to keep from getting diseases.
Mulching Apply a 2 inch mulch of straw or leaves to aid in the insulation of roots.
Potted Catmint Transfer the containers to an area that is secure and wrap them in burlap.
Note: Some varieties (like ‘Walker’s Low’) may stay semi-evergreen in mild climates.
Medicinal & Culinary Uses of Catmint
More than beauty. The plant of catmint is a powerful source of nutrients from it:
Relaxing Tea – Create tea using dry leaf (similar to catnip) to relax with a minty beverage.
Natural Remedy. Used traditionally to combat mild anxiety, digestion and cooling relief.
Culinary Herb edible flowers add a refreshing minty flavor to desserts as well as salads.
Tips for Safety: Be wary of excessive drinking in case you’re pregnant or on medications.
Debunking Common Catmint Myths
Let’s eliminate the misconceptions:
“Catmint is invasive “
The majority of HTML0 (like “Faassenii’) are compact and do not propagate.
“It’s exclusively for cat’s “
Truth: While it is connected to catnip is utilized for its aesthetic and environmental benefits.
“It requires a fertile soil in order to flourish “
The fact: Catmint prefers poor to average soil. Over-feeding can diminish the flowers.
“It goes to sleep after flowering“
The reality is that shearing or deadheading can trigger reblooming all day!
Conclusion
Catmint is a must-have for gardeners. It’s easy to maintain, pollinator-friendly and beautiful in all gardens. If you’re searching for an easy-to-care perennial that is drought resistant or that has a continuous color, catmint is an a great choice. You should consider making it a plant this year, and you’ll be amazed by its stunning appearance for the years to come!
