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Plants for Water Wise Pollinator Gardens: Catmint (Nepeta faassinii and hybrids) N. x faassenii, N. mussinii

Last Updated: February 07, 2012

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Plant Family

Cabbage white butterfly feeding on catmint flower nectar
Photo credit: Kathy Keatley Garvey

Mature catmint plant
Photo credit: Elsa Spezio

Mint Family (Labiatae/Lamiacea)

Other Common Names

Catmint
Faasen's catmint (N. faassinii)
Blue catmint

Description

Catmint is an attractive long lived perennial native to Europe. It grows to 12 to 36 inches high and wide, depending on cultivar. Tall spikes of purple flowers bloom from late spring through summer.

This plant needs well drained garden soils and performs well in USDA Zones 3 through 8. Although it prefers full sun, it can tolerate some shade in hotter climates.

Note: Catmint should not to be confused with catnip, also in the Nepeta genus (Nepeta cataria). Catnip is not a showy landscape plant and can become weedy but it does attract a profusion of bees.  

Attracts

  • bees
  • butterflies
  • moths
  • hummingbirds

 

 

 

Additional Resources

West

Colorado - Catmint


Southeast

Mississippi - Walker's Low catmint named perennial of year


Southwest

Texas - Catmint

 

 

Browse related Articles by tag: water-wise plants by type, landscape water conservation, water wise pollinator gardens


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