Catmint

Catmint: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Loose, broad mound about 40 cm tall and 60 cm wide, with square stems.

Leaves

Small, heart-shaped, toothed and grey-green, softly hairy.

Flowers

Loose spikes of small lipped flowers in lavender-blue, sometimes white or pink; May to September.

Scent

The leaves smell spicy, a little like mint, when crushed.

Roots

Fibrous roots in a compact clump that slowly widens.

Flowering: May–September · Plants: March–May and September–October · Pruning: March and July

Why grow it?

• Flowers for almost five months, from May to September, especially if you cut it back after the first flush.
• A favourite with bees, bumblebees and butterflies: the flowers hum all summer.
• Drought-tolerant: after the first year it rarely needs extra water.
• The grey-green leaves smell fresh and spicy as you brush past.
• Ideal as a soft, loose edging along paths, patios and rose beds.

Catmint: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: in shade it flops and flowers poorly.
• Well-drained soil: sand, loam, or clay lightened with grit; neutral to chalky is fine.
• Dry to moist soil; it dislikes wet ground in winter.
• Space 40–50 cm apart; as an edging a little closer, at 35 cm.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.4 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Roses: A classic pairing: the blue softens the rose colours and hides the bare base.
• Lavender: The same sun and dry soil, and together a feast for bees.
• Ornamental onion: Purple globes rising above the blue mounds in May–June.
• Cranesbill: Flowers in June; then the catmint carries on the blue.
• Balkan clary: Upright purple spikes beside the loose mounds.

Catmint: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September–October.

1. Plant in March–May or September–October.
2. On heavy clay, dig a generous hole and mix in coarse sand or fine gravel for better drainage.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot, no deeper.
4. Space plants 40–50 cm apart.
5. Water in straight away, then weekly in dry spells until the plant has rooted.
6. Do not pile compost against the stems; a layer of gravel keeps the crown dry.

Care

Watering

In dry spells during the first year. After that rarely needed, except in pots.

Feeding

Little or none. On rich soil it goes soft and flops.

Cutting back

After the first flush in July, cut everything back by half for a second flowering (see pruning).

Cats

Protect young plants from rolling cats with a few twigs or a wire cage until they are established.

Support

Usually not needed; cutting back keeps the plant compact.

Tip: After the first flush in July, cut everything back by half, even if some flowers remain: two weeks later it flowers again into September.

Catmint: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and July.

When: After the first flush in July, cut everything back by half. In March, cut off the old stems.

How:

• In July, cut all the stems back by half, even if some flowers remain.
• Water afterwards in dry spells: about two weeks later it flowers again.
• In autumn, leave the old stems standing: they protect the clump in winter.
• Cut those old stems off in March, just above the new leaves at the base.

Caution: In March, do not cut into the young leaves at the base: that is where the new growth comes from.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In March–April: cut the clump into pieces, each with roots and young shoots, and replant them straight away.

Cuttings

In April–May: 5–8 cm cuttings from young, non-flowering shoots in a mix of sand and compost. Roots form within a few weeks.

Seed

The species can be sown in spring; named varieties do not come true from seed.

Catmint: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Very hardy, to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• Leave the old stems in winter to protect the clump.
• Wet winter soil is more dangerous than frost: make sure drainage is good.
• In a pot: stand it against a wall, under an overhang, so the compost does not get waterlogged.

Diseases and pests

• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves, mainly in dry late summers. Cutting back and watering a little helps; the new leaves are usually healthy.
• Flattened plants: Cats love to roll in it. A wire cage or a few twigs protect young plants.
• Flopping: Too much shade or too rich a soil. Cut back in July and do not feed.
• Winter rot: Wet, heavy soil makes the clump rot. Plant on a slightly raised spot or mix grit into the soil.

Through the year

• March: Cut off the old stems, just above the new leaves.
• April: Plant, divide or take cuttings.
• May: Flowering begins. Protect young plants from cats.
• June: Full bloom. Plenty of bees and butterflies.
• July: After the first flush, cut everything back by half.
• August: Second flush. Water in severe drought.
• September: Late flowers. Planting is possible again.
• October: Plant. Leave the old stems standing.
• November: Rest. The stems protect the clump.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Butterflies

Nectar for butterflies.

Did you know?

• The compound nepetalactone in the leaves makes many cats playful or excited. Not every cat reacts to it.
• As in lavender, mint and sage, the stems are square: a hallmark of the mint family.
• The name of the variety ‘Walker’s Low’ refers to a garden, not to its height: it grows to about 60 cm.