Catmint

Nepeta x faassenii

Description

Catmint is a low spreading herbaceous perennial that grows 12-15 in. high and spreads 2-4 ft. wide. Its aromatic foliage is comprised of pale green heart-shaped leaves with serrated margins; tall spikes of deep lavender-blue flowers occur in mid to late spring.

This catmint is a hybrid resulting from the crossing of N. racemosa and N. nepetella, and has proven to be one of the most popular cultivars for garden plantings. As the common name suggests, cats are sometimes attracted to its foliage and will sometimes roll in it (it is a relative of catnip). It depends on the cat. Often cats will completely ignore it, but some love it. Catmint is commonly planted along borders and in perennial gardens for its springtime color and neat growth habit. It grows best in sunny locations, well-drained soils and with moderate amounts of water through the flowering cycle. By the end of fall most plants have become open and leggy; winter pruning helps restore size and renew spring growth. Several cultivars are available from nurseries and garden centers.

Plant Type: Perennial
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Spreading
Growth Rate: Fast
Foliage Color: Pale green
Flower Color: Lavender, Blue
Flower Season: Spring
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil
Exposure Adaptations: All day sun
Function: Attracts bees, Fragrant foliage, Attracts butterflies, Hummingbird plant, Container plant, Borders, Banks
Height: 12 in. – 15 in.
Width: 2 ft. – 4 ft.

Watering Schedule: Medium

For most situations, we recommend watering once per week after establishment, watering very deeply in summer, less deeply in fall and spring, and even less in winter.

See our recommendations for how much water to apply each time you water, below. Note that these recommendations are intended for inland valley areas of Southern California including the Inland Empire, San Gabriel, and San Fernando Valleys. People in cooler or warmer areas may use this as a baseline but should adjust based on local needs.

Learn how to provide 1” of water to your landscape here, and adjust to provide more or less based on the recommendations above for each time of year.

Seasonal Watering Recommendations

June – August: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 1.25” of irrigation.
September – October: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.75” of irrigation.
November – February: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.5” of irrigation.
March-May: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.75” of irrigation.

Learn how to provide 1” of water to your landscape here, and adjust to provide more or less based on the recommendations above for each time of year.

Adjusting to your local needs

These recommendations for Medium / Moderate water demanding plants were created for Southern California inland valley areas. Southern California areas closer to the coast and along the coast will usually be able to water significantly less during the warm months of the year. For desert areas, check with local experts to be sure plants are appropriate for the area and anticipate needing to water more.

As a very general baseline, people in Los Angeles and similar areas can try setting a schedule of 80% of the in Spring, Summer, and Fall and adjust as necessary based on observation. The difference is less pronounced in the winter months, so we recommend starting with the same recommendations as above for winter. People in cooler coastal areas such as Santa Monica can try using this same approach but adjust to use 75% of the chart recommended minutes for the Spring, Summer, and Fall months.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another week, possibly longer. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering again.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.
“Smart timers” or weather sensitive irrigation controllers such as Rachio and Hunter Hydrawise are ideal for watering plants in this category because they will automatically adjust how much they water based on the weather so you do not need to reprogram the timer seasonally. Rebates for these types of irrigation controllers are available through socalwatersmart.com.

These plants are easy to maintain but require a hard cut back, almost all the way to the ground, once or twice a year to renew growth and vigor. After blooming, stems will begin to look leggy and foliage will look ragged. Whenever this happens, cut plants back hard. they regrow quickly. Catmint can also be lightly trimmed any time to keep “in bounds” and to keep from growing too far into paths and walkways (S). References