Catnip

(Nepeta cataria)

Type: perennial
Planting time: spring
Features: aromatic leaves a favorite of cat;, watch them roll around
Height: 18 to 36 inches
Light: full sun to part shade
Soil: well drained
Spacing: 12 to 18 inches
Plant Size: 18 to 36 inches tall, 1 foot wide
Garden use: containers, herb and flower beds
Culinary use: fresh for cats and dried for cat sachets

Plant catnip for your favorite feline. This member of the mint family evokes an enthusiastic reaction from most cats. They go wild for it, rolling around and purring and rubbing against the plant. However, it has no scent for humans. A hardy plant that looks similar to mint, it is very easy to grow. In summer, catnip will produce clusters of white flowers accented with purple dots. Its aromatic leaves are used for teas, but it is mostly known for the dramatic effect its scent has on cats.

Some Bonnie Plants varieties may not be available at your local stores, as we select and sell varieties best suited to the growing conditions in each region.

Related Articles
Garden Companions

Customer Reviews

Incredibly Enticing to cats! Review by Austin Cat Lover

Taste
Yield

I grew this Bonnie plant for the first time last year and loved it so much that I bought more this year. I have a couple of raised garden beds, but I am far from having a green thumb so when I say it's easy to grow you can take that to the bank.

The scent, especially when dried with a food dehydrator, is the strongest catnip I've ever smelled. I almost couldn't wash the scent off my hands after crushing some of the dried herb for my cats. My cats go insane over it, as do the neighbors I shared with. One neighbor's cat actually stole the ziplock bag of catnip I gave her and hid it. My vet's cat tore open the bag when the receptionist left it on the counter for a minute. The only bad thing is that the store bought catnip no longer interests my cats and I've become the neighborhood cat nip supplier. :)

We get a lot of 90-110 degree days here in Texas and my garden gets lots of full sun so by mid-late Summer the plants did get stressed, but they rebounded once Fall weather hit. If you live in a similar climate I suggest partial rather than full sun. Also, the apple mint I planted next to the catnip took over to the point where the apple mint came back this Spring, but the catnip didn't. Though catnip is a mint, it wasn't as "pushy" as other mints so you may not have to segregate it to avoid it taking over. It did spread, but not too badly. I wish the catnip came back this Spring like the Apple Mint, but it was so amazing that I was happy to buy more this year! (Posted on March 31, 2013)

Pros: Taste, Yield

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Definitely yes

Share this review

Vegetables

Herbs

Catnip

Customer Reviews