Edible. The plant is tolerant of hot and dry conditions which makes these plants particularly suited to regions with long hot summers. Will I start having stray cats in my yard if I decide to plant cat mint? If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Catmint is valuable for its medicinal value, which comes from compounds it contains. Catmint is drought tolerant and thrives on neglect, making it good for beginning gardeners, low-maintenance landscapes and water-wise borders. At this stage, the plants will have typically reached a height of 4 inches or so. You've come to the right place! Whats A Good Italian Seasoning Substitute? We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. It has a very slight numbing effect on the tongue. "image": "https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-jmzfi5zcr2/product_images/uploaded_images/planting-pelargoniums.jpg", Their rich flavor and texture make them versatile additions to recipes, either as a side. It is used to help manage stress and is also thought to alleviate physical . Required fields are marked *. They should be planted at least 12 to 16 inches apart to avoid overcrowding. Identifying catnip vs catmint is easy once you get familiar with the two plants. How much sun does catmint need?For best flowering, catmint needs at least 6 hours of full sun per day. If you want to harvest catmint for its leaves, wait until the plant is well-established (after 2-3 years) and has produce a large amount of foliage. Thrips tend to favour dryer areas, and plants are typically more affected when they are stressed, e.g. Given that it looks similar to mint and has mint in the name is actually edible like common mint? To dry catnip, cut full stalks and dry in the sun. Follow these steps and space plants 1 to 3 feet apart, depending on the variety. It is an excellent low-maintenance plant that requires very little work are really suits a gardener that wants their garden to look good without doing much work. Named "Perennial of the Year" in 2007, and one of the most reknowned catnip plants, the subspecies of nepeta Walker's Low offers an abundance of lavender-blue flowers spiking above its gray green foliage from mid-May through late September. Its a beautiful fall day, and youre walking through the woods looking for edible mushrooms. Whether you have a pet cat or not, having a catmint plant around will still benefit you immensely. Sometimes catnip is called catmint and vice versa. However, there are distinct differences. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Im speaking from experience. The leaves of catmint can be used fresh or dried in teas, potpourris, sachets, and herbal pillows. "datePublished": "2022-07-14", Susannah is a proud garden geek and energy nerd who loves healthy food and natural remedies. It is a sterile hybrid plant, the result of a cross between Nepeta racemosa and Nepeta nepetella. It is excellent news for all gardeners. A list of the more common varieties of Nepetafaassenii are provided below; In addition to Nepetafaassenii there are also several other species from the same genus that are useful alternatives in the garden if the soil conditions are not ideal. Its potential health benefits come from its active essential oil, nepetalactone. Cut the plants back by one-third to one-half in late spring or early summer. It survives great heat. This use aligns with the Cherokee use of catnip as an abortifacient, so its probably best to avoid catnip in pregnancy. Watering: Provide regular water during the first growing season. The seedlings will take 6 to 8 weeks to reach a sufficiently large size to allow them to be planted out into the garden. However, if you are starting the plants off this early it may be necessary to apply additional heat either by bringing the seed tray inside your house or using a heated propagation tray. Catmint is an aromatic herb that is commonly grown in the garden. A nursery in England would eventually offer it for sale in the late 1980s. Catmint has a long history of use as a household herbal remedy, being employed especially in treating disorders of the digestive system and, as it stimulates sweating, it is useful in reducing fevers. Read our Commitment to Diversity | Read our Privacy Statement. The Nepeta genus is included within the Lamiaceae family which is also known as the mint family. French cooks sometimes use it as a culinary herb in soups and sauces. It grows and flowers freely. Calamint is dotted with masses of tiny flowers that attract butterflies from midsummer until frost. "knowsAbout": ["Edible Gardening, Plants, Gardening, Nurseries, Houseplants, Container Gardening, Landscape & Garden Design, Native Plants of North America, Seed Saving, Waterwise Planting, Seed & Plant Propagation, Sustainable Gardening"], Catmint is an absolute asset in the garden. It works well in containers, planted along walkways, or nestled between rocks in a rock garden. In general, you can grow catnip just about anywhere, with the exception of soil that is too boggy or plots that receive too little light. The plant is characterized by its square stem, downy leaves, and lavender-colored flowers. After initial flowering, shear plants as needed to encourage a bushier habit and rebloom later in the growing season. The seeds or divisions of the catmint plant are planted in spring. With all the confusion about names, most searches for whether catmint is edible will take you to a post actually describing catnip, which definitely is edible and has many studied medicinal uses. Sign up for our newsletter. Additional catnip vs catmint photo credits: w-ings, ikuyan. I found one study in PubMed that included catmint among the edible flowers it examined, suggesting that indeed catmint is also edible. While the two plants are similar, there are important distinctions. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); There are a lot of wild mushrooms that are considered inedible and even toxic. Catmint is a carefree, easy-to-grow plant with an extra-long bloom time that deserves a spot in any landscape. This American variety of wild mint is edible and can be eaten either fresh or cooked into dishes that add a beautiful aroma and pleasant taste. If you want to try catnip tea or add catnip to your evening tea blends, you can grow it yourself or buy it dried and ready to use. Catmint can thrive in poor soil. Although it grows best when planted in the ground, it can be kept in a container to keep as a houseplant or bring in to overwinter. Find out where you fall in the USDA Hardiness Zones database. Catmint is an easy plant to grow and is ideally suited to planting in a cottage garden. Catmints flavor and aroma are similar to those of pennyroyal. In. Catmint - The Ultimate Growing Guide from Proven Winners. As for the soil, catnip loves sandy soil and clay soil thats somewhat moist and well-drained. However, as catmint does not spread by seed it can be controlled with a minimum of fuss. How and When to Plant Catmint In the spring, plant catmint plants 1 to 3 feet apart, depending on the variety, in moist soil. The flowers can also be used as a garnish. Grow . The minty flavored leaves of catmint are commonly used in herbal teas and are thought to have various health benefits. It is a low-growing mounded plant with attractive, gray-green foliage. Catmint can also be brewed into tea or used as a garnish for cocktails. var ins = document.createElement('ins'); It grows in a clumping mound and can reach up to three feet in height. It was one of the most common plants used for tea in England prior to the arrival of black tea from China. Be inspired with our Gardener's Idea Book and Winner's Circle newsletter. They may nibble on it or even roll around in the foliage. }, The leaves are aromatic when crushed, and they contain a volatile oil that is attractive to cats. Once the Catmint gets going you will find that the plant does is a good job of smoothing any competing weeds. The leaves of the catmint plant have a minty, peppery flavor that can be used fresh or dried in a number of different dishes. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Your email address will not be published. The plant is said to have stress-relieving properties that help reduce anxiety. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Catmints flowers are usually purple, and the leaf shape and growth pattern differ from catnip, as you can see in the photos below. This hardy plant is drought-resistant, so you dont have to water them too often. It is improving yearly as ever more varieties come on sale. The only symptom of Catmint poisoning is stomachache or temporary vomiting. Some people harvest catmint leaves to use as a culinary herb similar to mint. Why do cats love it? Catmint is excellent for attracting pollinators to a garden and gardeners often plant it for this purpose. Just go take a look at it for yourself before accepting someones offer of catnip or catmint, because odds are they dont know the difference between them! Keep them 12 apart from each other to avoid overcrowding. Irrespective of the cultivar you select the catmint will progressively spread over time this provides an opportunity to propagate the plant by division. Plant in a curbside strip in combination with other drought-tolerant perennials such as lavender, salvia, agastache, sedums and ornamental grasses. Catmint originated in Temperate Eurasia and Macaronesia to Eastern Tropical Africa. It also makes your garden more cat-friendly. wide., An exquisite new catmint variety with long-lasting clusters of vibrant lavender-blue flowers and aromatic gray-green foliage. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The common name catmint can also refer to the genus as a whole. Faassen in Holland in the 1930s, which accounts for the faassenii part of its name. Content on this website is intended for informational purposes only and is not meant to provide personalized medical advice. Catmint uses also include the addition to fresh salads or cooked food. They have a lovely minty flavor and a mild fragrance, making them a great aromatic addition to salads. Fertilizing: Catmint does best with little or no supplemental fertilizer. If you want more, you can take divisions from the original plant after a couple of years and transplant them to other parts of the garden. Even so, the catmint and catnip names often get used interchangeably as though they referred to a single herb. NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to It can be easy to mistake these two plants as simply different names for the same thing, but they are, in fact, different plants. For Personalised ads and content measurement, audience insights and product development should! Garden and gardeners often plant it for this purpose large size to allow them to be planted at least to. For purchases made through these links tend to favour dryer areas, website... 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