Catmints ~ so many to love!

Catmint are some of the easiest going and hardest working of all our  favorite drought tolerant perennials – and that’s high praise indeed!  They can be incorporated into many styles, from cottagey to Mediterranean to modern, and blend well with a plethora of other perennials and shrubs.

Not to be confused with Cat Nip, though it is a different species of Nepeta, the ornamental types we offer can occasionally be attractive to cats, so bear that in mind when siting them.  However, the real benefit of Nepeta’s aromatic foliage, reminiscent of mild mint with a warm hint of camphor, is reliable deer resistance.

The silvery sage green foliage creates a complimentary foil for soft-looking, yet vibrant lavender flowers, and contrasts well with other deep green plants.  The amicable light purple is a perfect blender color – working across the spectrum with both pastel and bold, jewel tone color themes. They generally begin blooming when temps warm up in early spring, especially in an exposed hot spot, and will rebloom nicely during late summer and into fall.  Some varieties like ‘Purple Haze’ will continue to pump out flowers almost continuously.

Nepetas do best in full sun with well-drained soil, but will still perform with intense partial sun and are quite adaptable in clay soils, as long as they are not overwatered (which will result in sickly yellowed leaves and a less robust, full habit).

In addition to their many redeemable traits, Catmints are absolute magnets for pollinators. Here at the nursery, it’s not uncommon to find our Nepetas covered with a combination of butterflies, skippers, honeybees, bumblebees, and tiny solitary native bees. If you have really limited room for pollinator plants in your garden, a few dwarf varieties should be among the top of your list!

We also regularly carry these other varieties of Nepeta:

Nepeta ‘Purple Haze’– ‘Purple Haze’ is the  of the Nepetas we grow. They share the same abundant violet-blue flowers and aromatic foliage of ‘Junior Walker’, but plants only get about 4″ tall at maturity. They’re a great addition at the front of a perennial bed – or plant them to spill over a rock wall.

Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’– ‘Walker’s Low is the tallest Nepeta of the group. Plants get to 24″ to 30″ tall, by about 36″ wide. Like ‘Junior Walker’, it has a gentle mounding shape and combines well with other sun-loving, drought tolerant perennials like Salvias, Agastaches, and Gauras.