Plant of the week – Nepeta

Nepeta, or “Catmint”, are tough, dependable plants prized for their copious flowers, long blooming season and distinctive foliage. These members of the mint family have billowing heart-shaped leaves topped with tubular flowers in shades of purple-blue, pink and white. Nepeta prefers full sun and well-drained soil is drought tolerant once established, and are deer, groundhog and rabbit resistant. Nepeta’s long bloom time can be lengthened even more by giving it a light trim as soon as the first set of flowers have passed stimulating a second bloom. While they are best known for their stellar displays in gardens, Nepeta has been cultivated for centuries for herbal teas and medicinal tonics. Butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds love them, but they hold a special fascination for cats; Nepeta cataria – better known as “catnip” – is especially irresistible.

Nepeta is perfect for borders or edging and in raised gardens or containers where they can cascade. They combine nicely with yarrows, geraniums, gauras, sages, and ornamental grasses and are classic under-plantings for roses. Rohsler’s is growing and currently offers five different varieties of Nepeta. You can find smaller more compact varieties including Cat’s Meow, Cat’s Pajamas, and Purrsian Blue as well as taller varieties like Six Hills Giant and Walker’s Low in the Rohsler’s Grown Pot. These stalwart perennials are the cat’s meow for any summer garden.

Rohsler’s Grown Nepeta are grown locally and naturally at our nursery.