2021 Perennial of the Year: ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ catmint (Nepeta ×faassenii). Photo by Proven Winners.

If you’re looking for a tough-as-nails plant that will bloom for months on end with very little pampering, catmint is sure to make you purr with delight. Unlike its close relative catnip (both are members of the mint family), catmint is better behaved and much showier. The soft gray-green foliage and billowy clusters of lavender-blue flowers are like a cool breeze on a hot day.

With variations in both flower and foliage color, height, bloom time and growing conditions, these multipurpose plants can be used in almost any area of the garden.

Buy online: Catmint plants

On this page: Basics | Varieties of Catmint | Planting Catmint | Care and Maintenance | Pictures | Landscaping with Catmint

BASICS

Plant type:

Herbaceous perennial

Hardiness:

Varies by species. Most are cold hardy to zone 3.

Height:

9 inches to 3 feet

Flower color:

Various shades of lavender-blue, pink, violet, or white, often enhanced by darker calyces.

Foliage:

Fuzzy, aromatic gray-green to medium green leaves with scalloped edges.

Light preference:

Full sun to light shade.

Bloom time:

Typically, late spring to early summer into early fall, although some varieties bloom earlier and longer.

Special attributes:


  • Heat and drought tolerant.
  • The minty, aromatic leaves make them rabbit and deer resistant.
  • Attracts bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects.

2021 Perennial of the Year:

'Cat's Pajamas' catmint.

CATMINT VARIETIES

  • Nepeta x faassenii (Faassen’s catmint): By far, the most popular cultivars grown for ornamental use belong to this hybrid, which has sterile flowers that won’t self-sow and don’t require deadheading.
  • Nepeta subsessilis (Japanese catmint): Unlike other varieties, this one prefers moist soil and partial shade, making it a good option for cooler, wetter climates.
  • Nepeta racemosa (Persian or dwarf catmint): This low-growing species forms rounded mounds that spread as wide as the plants are tall. Ranging in height from 12 to 18 inches, it is often used as a colorful groundcover.

Is catmint the same as catnip?

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is more aromatic than catmint. Its ornamental attributes are lacking and it tends to be weedy and invasive. In the garden, it offers the most value as a culinary herb or as a repellant for certain insects, including mosquitoes, aphids and squash bugs.

HOW TO PLANT CATMINT

Where to plant:

Although most prefer full sun, they won’t mind a bit of afternoon shade, especially when grown in hot climates. Catmint will grow in just about any type of well-drained soil. Wet or soggy sites can lead to root rot.

When to plant:

From spring (after the last threat of frost has passed) through early fall.

How to plant:

Although it can be grown from seed, it’s easier and more reliable to purchase nursery-grown plants since hybrids may not grow true to seed and some varieties are sterile. Provide ample space between plants, since many tend to grow wider than tall.

CATMINT CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Use catmint in mixed containers like this “Brooklyn Heights” recipe that includes ‘Cat’s Meow’ catmint, Angelface® Blue Angelonia, and Snowstorm® Giant Snowflake® bacopa. Photo by Proven Winners.

Water requirements:

Water new plants or transplants regularly through their first growing season until they become established. After that, they will very rarely need supplemental watering. Japanese catmints (N. subsessilis) will benefit from regular watering to keep the soil moist.

Fertilizing:

Given the right growing conditions, catmint is unlikely to need fertilizing, and applying it can even result in floppy stems and fewer flowers.

Pruning:

Some plants may go into a summer lull after the first flush of blooms has faded. Shearing your plants back by a third or more will reenergize them for a second bloom cycle and produce lush new foliage. Even without being sheared, they will often repeat bloom, although not quite as prolifically.

Deadheading is unnecessary to prevent self-sowing because the seeds of hybrids are sterile. However, it may help stimulate new flower development.

Propagating:

It is one of the easiest plants to divide, and doing so every 3 or 4 years will help to keep it vigorous. Simply use a spade to separate rooted sections of an established plant and then replant the divisions, spacing them about a foot apart. Stem cuttings can also be taken in the spring before flower buds form and used for propagation.

Pests and Diseases:

May be bothered by thrips, which are best treated with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Catmint, especially catnip (N. cataria), is known to repel pests such as mosquitoes, aphids, squash bugs, cabbage loopers and more.

CATMINT PICTURES

Swipe to view slides

Photo by: Proven Winners

'Cat's Pajamas’ Buy now from Proven Winners
Nepeta ×faassenii

Zones:

3-8

Height/Spread:

12 to 18 inches tall, 18 to 20 inches wide

This new hybrid may be the most flamboyant yet. Unlike most, which produce flowers only at the tops of the stems, this one is smothered with indigo-blue blooms from the stem tips all the way down to the base. Even after the blooms peak in midsummer, rosy purple calyces remain to prolong the colorful display.

2021 National Perennial of the Year

Photo by: Proven Winners

'Cat's Meow’ Buy now from Proven Winners
Nepeta ×faassenii

Zones:

3-8

Height/Spread:

17 to 20 inches tall, 24 to 36 inches wide

Dense and colorful flowers cover this catmint from early summer until fall. Its strong growth does not flop and grows to a broad mound throughout the growing season.

Photo by: Walters Gardens Inc.

‘Walker's Low’
Nepeta racemosa

Zones:

3-8

Height/Spread:

2 to 2½ feet tall, 2½ to 3 feet wide

Don’t let the name fool you. This lovely cultivar, dubbed after the garden in Ireland where it originated, bears upright plumes of lavender-blue flowers nearly a foot long. It blooms profusely for months on end, from late spring through midsummer. Named the 2007 Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association.

Photo by: Sandy Pruden / Millette Photomedia

Junior Walker™
Nepeta ×faassenii

Zones:

5-9

Height/Spread:

16 to 18 inches tall, 2 to 3 feet wide

This compact version of ‘Walker’s Low’ is covered from May to September with bright lavender flowers, held in dense clusters above attractive mounds of blue-green foliage. Selected as one of Colorado State University's Top Perennial Performers for the 2013 season, praised for its vigor, floriferous habit, and sterling performance as a groundcover.

Photo by: Universal Images Group North America LLC / DeAgostini / Alamy Stock Photo

'Blue Wonder'
Nepeta racemosa

Zones:

3-8

Height/Spread:

9 to 12 inches tall, 12 to 18 inches wide

Brimming over with royal blue flowers from late spring to early fall, this charming dwarf variety is just the right stature for edging flower beds and walkways or for use as a long-blooming groundcover. Selected as a Plant of Merit by the Missouri Botanical Garden for its outstanding quality and dependable performance.

Photo by: Walters Gardens Inc.

‘Purrsian Blue’
Nepeta ×faassenii

Zones:

3-8

Height/Spread:

14 to 18 inches tall, 18 to 30 inches wide

A striking combination of periwinkle blue flowers enshrouded in dark purple calyces create an impressive show from late spring until the first frost. Will nearly double in breadth (to over 2 feet across) the second season after planting, quickly filling in your garden’s bare spots.

Photo by: John Richmond / Alamy Stock Photo

‘Six Hills Giant’
Nepeta hybrid

Zones:

3-8

Height/Spread:

2 to 3 feet tall, 3 to 4 feet wide

Growing up to 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide, this is one of the largest cultivars and easily one of the showiest. From late spring onward, masses of fragrant two-lipped lavender-blue flowers tower above the dense gray-green foliage, creating an eye-catching display for the middle or back of sunny garden beds.

Photo by: Holmes Garden Photos / Alamy Stock Photo

‘Snowflake’
Nepeta ×faassenii

Zones:

4-8

Height/Spread:

10 to 12 inches tall, 18 to 24 inches wide

Offering a change of pace from the typical blue and lavender tones, this cultivar is blanketed by delicately scented snow white flowers from late spring to early fall. Forms a neat low-growing mound that is perfect for the front of the border or edging a pathway. It also looks gorgeous when intermingled with its purple-hued counterparts.

Photo by: wasilisa / Shutterstock

Catnip
Nepeta cataria

Zones:

3-7

Height/Spread:

2 to 3 feet tall and wide

This true catnip is easily grown full sun to part shade, in average, well-drained soils. Catnip is extremely drought tolerant, but prefers some afternoon shade in hotter, southern climates. White with purple spotted flowers bloom in clusters at the end of stems from late spring into summer. Its leaves have been used for many years as a medicinal herb and is loved by housecats. Catnip also acts as a repellent for many garden pests including aphids and squash bugs. It can get out of hand in some areas, see more information on where this species is considered invasive.


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LANDSCAPING IDEAS

Garden uses:

Butterfly gardens, borders, herb gardens, mass plantings, groundcovers, rock gardens, and as an edging plant along walkways. Can also be used as a substitute for lavender, since they share a similar color palette.

Good companions:

Catmint’s cool-toned foliage and flowers blend well with most other colors, particularly reds, deeper purple tones, pinks and yellows. Red roses and catmint are a classic combination, but equally attractive red-flowered companions include Veronica spicata 'Red Fox', Monarda didyma 'Pardon My Cerise', and red valerian (Centranthus ruber). In the purple color spectrum, try pairing catmint with ‘Purple Ruffles’ basil, drumstick alliums and purple coral bells, such as Heuchera Dolce® 'Wildberry'. Just about any yellow-flowering plant looks good alongside catmint, but those sharing similar growing requirements and bloom times include Coreopsis grandiflora ‘Early Sunrise’, Achillea ‘Moonshine’ yarrow, and yellow daylilies, such as Hemerocallis ‘Stella de Oro’.

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Last updated: 10/5/2021

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