Herb · Lamiaceae
Catmint
Nepeta × faassenii
Set it in full sun and lean, dry soil, and catmint becomes a summer-long drift of lavender-blue bloom alive with bees.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 3–8
12–24 in · 30–60 cm
Overview
Catmint is the kind of easygoing perennial that quietly anchors a border, a member of the mint family grown for the soft cloud of lavender-blue flowers floating above gray-green foliage. It sits in the genus Nepeta alongside true catnip, and the catmint most gardens reach for is the hybrid Nepeta x faassenii. Once settled, it asks almost nothing of you.
Picture a low, billowing mound that hums with bees and other pollinators from morning to dusk. It takes heat, drought, and poor ground in stride, and deer and rabbits generally pass it by. Cats are the exception, since the nepetalactone in the leaves invites them to roll and lounge, though the draw is softer than true catnip.
Above all it craves sun and quick-draining ground. Give it lean soil, ease off the water once it has rooted in, and shear it after the first bloom, and it will carry color from late spring well into summer. Indulge it with rich earth and steady feeding, and you'll get floppy, open growth that parts down the center.
Care
The short version: full sun and lean, well-drained soil, a deep drink only now and then once it has established, no heavy feeding, and a good shearing after the first flush of bloom to keep it shapely and flowering on.
Light
Catmint puts on its richest show in full sun, where the growth stays full and stands tall. A little dappled shade is tolerable, but skimp on sun and you'll be left with weak, sprawling stems and a thin scattering of bloom.
Water
Offer a deep drink only occasionally, somewhere around every 7 to 14 days, and let the top half of the soil dry out before the next. Settled in, it is honestly drought-tolerant, and waterlogged ground is the surest path to rotted roots.
Soil
Choose lean, well-drained soil over anything plush. It copes with dry to medium moisture and almost any texture, and a pH from 6.0 to 7.5 suits it perfectly. Sharp drainage counts for far more here than fertility.
Temperature
Few plants are this unflappable, taking everything from -40°F to 95°F (-40°C to 35°C) in stride. It weathers a brutal winter and brushes off summer heat without a hint of complaint.
Humidity
This is a plant that prefers things dry, in the range of 30% to 50% humidity, and chafes at muggy, still air. A bit of airflow is what keeps powdery mildew off the leaves.
Feeding
Keep it spare. A single feed in spring, a balanced fertilizer or a scattering of compost, sees it through the whole year. Rich ground or extra feeding only coaxes out soft, floppy stems.
Pruning
Shearing is the secret to a plant that always looks its best. Take it back by a third to a half once the first flush of bloom fades to keep it trim and bring on a second round, then cut the whole thing to the ground in late winter.
Repotting
Catmint belongs in the open ground, never a pot. Every 3 to 4 years, lift and divide the clump to renew it, especially once the heart of it goes bare or the flowering begins to fade.
Size & spacing
Expect a plant 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm) tall spreading 18 to 35 inches (45 to 90 cm) across. Leave each one breathing room to fill in so air moves freely and mildew stays at bay.
When to plant
Catmint keeps to an uncomplicated seasonal beat. Tuck plants into the garden in spring once frost has cleared, savor the lavender-blue spikes from late spring through summer, and shear after the first flush to invite a second wave of color.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Spring, after danger of frost has passed
- Harvest: Lavender-blue flower spikes from late spring through summer (roughly May to September); shear after the first flush to encourage a second bloom
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 3–8
Temperature: down to -40°C
Troubleshooting
Catmint asks for little and rarely disappoints, and when something does go awry it almost always comes down to too much water or too generous a site. Keep an eye on the stems and leaves, and a firm shearing or sharper drainage usually sets things right. Find your symptom below, then act sooner rather than later.
The plant wilts and gives way in waterlogged ground
Root rot driven by Pythium or Phytophthora takes hold wherever the soil stays drenched, and by the time the foliage droops the roots beneath have already gone black and soft. A plant this far gone cannot be rescued. Lift it out, sort the drainage, and start again in a dry spot with a far lighter hand on the watering can.
Fix:
- Improve drainage and remove affected plants
- Replant in well-drained soil and reduce watering
Your tidy mound falls open at the middle once the flowers fade
Gardeners call this flopping, and it arrives just as that first wave of color winds down and the stems take on weight. A pampering site, all rich earth and shade, only softens the growth and hurries the collapse. The remedy is simple and worth the effort: shear the clump back by a third to a half, then give it full sun and lean ground so the shape stays poised.
Fix:
- Shear the plant back by one-third to one-half after first flowering
- Grow in full sun and lean soil to keep growth compact
A pale, dusty film settling over the foliage
That bloom of gray is powdery mildew, a fungus that moves in when the air hangs damp and the planting sits packed together with nowhere for a breeze to pass. Give it space: thin or divide the clumps, clip away the most coated growth, and pour water at the roots instead of over the leaves.
Fix:
- Improve air circulation by spacing or dividing plants
- Shear affected growth and avoid overhead watering
The flowers taper off once that opening show is over
Leave the spent flower spikes standing and the plant turns its attention to making seed rather than fresh buds. Clip those tired spikes away once the first flush has passed and keep the planting in full sun, and a second round of color tends to arrive on its own.
Fix:
- Shear flower spikes after initial flowering to promote continued bloom
Stems pressed flat where a cat has made itself at home
The nepetalactone in the leaves is an irresistible lure for cats, who settle in, roll about, and leave the stems crushed flat behind them. An established plant shrugs it off, but a young one can be adored to its end. Pop a low cage over new plantings until they settle, or tuck them somewhere the neighborhood cats rarely wander.
Fix:
- Protect young plants with a low cage or grow where cats have less access
Toxicity
Reassuring news for any household with animals: catmint is safe right across the board. The ASPCA lists Nepeta as non-toxic to cats and dogs, with nothing to fear for horses, rabbits, livestock, birds, or people. Cats are simply pulled in by the nepetalactone in the leaves, which leaves them happily rolling and rubbing without the slightest harm.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats Safe
Perfectly safe, and most cats make a beeline for it. The nepetalactone in the leaves sends them into a happy haze of rolling and rubbing that fades on its own. A cat that overindulges might feel briefly off, but the moment passes quickly.
Dogs Safe
No worry for dogs, who tend to walk right past it since the scent holds no charm for them. A curious nibble of the foliage does no harm at all.
Horses Safe
Entirely harmless to horses. A planting nearby is no cause for concern as they graze.
Rabbits Safe
A rabbit can browse the leaves without trouble, though the sharp, minty scent usually steers them elsewhere to begin with.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep take no harm from it, and the aromatic foliage holds little appeal for them anyway.
Birds Safe
No threat to birds whatsoever. Its real gift to the garden is the steady traffic of bees and other pollinators it draws to its flowers.
People Safe
Safe for the household too. The leaves carry a long tradition in herbal teas, and brushing past the plant or handling it brings no risk.
Non-toxic. Contains nepetalactone and may mildly attract and excite cats (a harmless behavioral effect, generally weaker than true catnip, Nepeta cataria). Large ingestion may occasionally cause mild, self-limiting vomiting or diarrhea, but it is not a poison.
Varieties
Most of the catmint you'll find in gardens traces back to a handful of named hybrids, each bringing its own scale and shape to a planting. These are the ones worth knowing by name.
'Walker's Low'
Crowned Perennial Plant of the Year in 2007, this one builds a generous mound in spite of its name and counts among the best-loved, longest-flowering catmints you can plant.
'Six Hills Giant'
The bold choice for a bigger statement, rising to roughly 3 feet and sending up sweeps of lavender-blue spikes.
'Purrsian Blue'
A neat, compact mound prized for its rich periwinkle-blue flowers framed by reddish calyxes.
How to propagate
Catmint multiplies with little fuss, but since the usual garden hybrid is sterile, you divide it or take cuttings rather than collect seed.
DivisionEasy
Spring or early fall · About one growing season
For these sterile named hybrids, dividing is the favored approach. Ease an established clump out of the ground in spring or early fall, pull it into pieces, and set them back in, and the divisions find their feet across roughly one growing season.
Stem cuttingsModerate
Late spring to summer, from non-flowering shoots · A few weeks to root
Cuttings make a dependable second option for the sterile hybrids. Snip softwood from shoots that aren't in flower during late spring or summer, and they take root within a few weeks.
SeedModerate
Late winter to spring · Several weeks to germinate
Seed is reserved for the true species or seed-raised forms, not this plant. Because Nepeta x faassenii is a sterile cross of N. racemosa and N. nepetella, it almost never sets viable seed, so dividing or taking cuttings is the way forward. Where seed genuinely applies, sow it from late winter into spring and look for germination over several weeks.
Myths
Catmint and catnip are one and the same, with an identical hold over cats.
Think of catmint as the refined garden relation of true catnip, the plant known botanically as Nepeta cataria. It carries the very same nepetalactone, so cats still take notice, yet the effect is usually milder.
Catmint is dangerous, even poisonous, to keep around pets.
Per the ASPCA, Nepeta is non-toxic to both cats and dogs. It is not a poison, and a cat rolling in the leaves or sampling one is in no danger at all.