Nepeta, the catgrass plant

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Crumple a leaf and a soft aniseed scent rises from foliage much like mint’s, topped from May to October by spires of blue flowers. Nepeta, also known as catnip, catmint or catgrass, feeds bees, flavours infusions and sends cats into euphoria; give it full sun and well-drained soil and it returns every spring.

Also called catgrass, catnip and even catmint because its leaves look like those of mint, it makes our feline friends a bit tipsy.

Planting Nepeta

How to plant nepeta

You can plant your nepeta starting in October and all the way to May-June, keeping a distance of 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) between plants.

• Nepeta likes full sun but it also tolerates part sun.
• It appreciates well drained soil, even poor.
• Being planted in the sun is when nepeta is at its best in terms of flavor.

Propagating nepeta

Nepeta is propagated through sowing at the end of winter, in a crate and at a T° of more or less 65°F (18°C).

• Maintain the substrate a little moist.
• Good light but no direct sunlight.
• Transplant once in nursery pots sometime in April.
• Transfer to the ground starting from the month of May.

You can propagate nepeta in spring or fall through crown division.

Nepeta task by task, and when to do it

Nepeta asks for very little, but each job has its own window in the year. Here is what to do, when, and how to go about it.

Dried leaves keep for several months, so a summer harvest will see you through to the following season.

Watering nepeta

This plant copes well with having a lot of sun, but must be watered in case of elevated temperatures or extended dry spell.

If growing it in pots, don’t wait for the soil to be completely dry before watering again; simply water often but in moderate amounts.

• Newly planted nepeta needs regular watering until its roots take hold; once established, a clump in open ground gets by on rainfall alone.
• Nepeta is drought-tolerant but prone to root rot in waterlogged soil, so plant it in well-drained conditions and empty the saucer beneath a potted specimen after each watering.

Harvesting nepeta leaves

Nepeta cataria leaves are preferably collected in the morning during its growth or vegetation phase.

Spring and summer is often when the harvest takes place, but it can also be conducted as long as your nepeta are densely furnished to prepare delicious nepeta infusions and herbal teas

• Wait for the plant to have grown quite a bunch of leaves before harvesting for the first time.
• Dried nepeta leaves keep very well, they can last several months.

Note that when you crumple nepeta flowers and leaves, they produce a soft aniseed-like fragrance that is very pleasurable.

Which nepeta to choose: the main varieties compared

From knee-high border workhorses to compact mounds for pots and the true herbal catnip, nepetas differ mainly in flower colour, size and what you want them for. The table below sets the widely sold varieties side by side.

All there is to know about nepeta

Nepeta is also called Catnip or, more frequently still, Catgrass. It indeeds has the power of attracting cat folk because it induces euphoria.

About 2 out of 3 cats are sensitive to the euphoria-inducing effects of nepeta. Whether it simply rubs against it, rolls over in it, chews it or licks it, for sure it gives the cat a few minutes of excitement and joy that transport it to a better world! Purring and meowing illustrate this situation that luckily doesn’t have any side effects.

Also very ornamental and simply of a high value as a spice, this plant is also used simply to decorate the garden and cook delicious flavorful meals, infusions and herbal teas.

A honey-bee plant, nepeta will be fine at the back of a flower bed or along edges, in a rocky pile or sand patch, and even fit right into a garden box on your balcony or terrace.