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Contents
Catmint Plant: The Complete Guide and Care Tips
Introduction
Gardening is a satisfying hobby that brings people closer to nature. It’s a great way to relieve stress, improve your mood, and get some fresh air. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just starting out, there are numerous plants that you can add to your garden for a colorful display of flowers and foliage.
One such plant is catmint. Not only does it add a burst of purple-blue color to your garden, but it also attracts bees and butterflies with its fragrant aroma.
What is Catmint?
Catmint (Nepeta cataria) belongs to the mint family Lamiaceae. It’s native to Europe, Asia, and Africa but has become naturalized in many parts of North America as well.
The plant grows up to 3 feet tall with gray-green leaves that produce small clusters of lavender-blue flowers on spikes during the summer months.
Types of Catmint Plants
- Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’: This type of catmint produces violet-blue flowers on spikes up to 30 inches tall.
- Nepeta × faassenii ‘Dropmore Blue’: This variety features deep blue-violet flowers on short stems reaching about 18 inches high.
- Nepeta mussinii: An excellent ground cover with gray-green leaves topped by spikes bearing lavender-blue blooms.
- Nepeta nervosa ‘Pink Cat’: This cultivar produces pinkish-purple flowers on mounds growing just over 12 inches high.
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Catmint Care Tips
Catmint is not only beautiful but also easy to care for. Here are a few tips to help you keep your catmint healthy and thriving:
- Soil: Catmint prefers well-drained soil that’s rich in organic matter. Add compost or aged manure to your soil before planting if it needs improvement.
- Sunlight: This plant thrives in full sun, but it can tolerate some shade as well. Ideally, give the plant at least six hours of direct sunlight per day.
- Watering: Once established, catmint is drought-tolerant and requires little watering. Water it occasionally during dry spells or when the top inch of soil feels dry.
- Fertilizer: Catmint plants don’t require much fertilizer for growth, a yearly application of slow-release fertilizer will be enough
- Maintenance: Cut back spent flowers regularly throughout the growing season; this will prolong blooming and prevent self-seeding. In late summer once flowering has finished cut back all stems to encourage fresh foliage growth.
- Pests and Diseases: Catmints are generally pest-free plants that are resistant to most diseases that affect other mints family members such as basil or oregano.
- Catmints attract bees and butterflies with their fragrant aroma making them great pollinators for other plants around them..
- They are deer-resistant plants, meaning these beautiful garden additions will not be eaten by deer and other herbivores.
- Their leaves can be dried and used as a natural mosquito repellent.
- Catmint also has medicinal properties that can help treat anxiety, insomnia, and indigestion.
The Benefits of Planting Catmint in Your Garden
Apart from their beauty, here are some benefits of planting catmints in your garden:
Conclusion
Catmint is an excellent addition to any garden due to its beautiful colors, fragrance, and numerous benefits. By following the above tips on caring for catmint plant you’ll have healthy plants with great blooms that will attract pollinators to your garden.
