Catnip (Nepeta cataria)

Catnip is a hardy perennial herb in the mint family, loved by cats, bees and other pollinators! Its aromatic, grey-green leaves and delicate white flowers with purple spots make it a wonderful addition to herb gardens, pollinator gardens and food forests.

Catnip has a long history of use as a calming herbal tea, traditionally enjoyed to encourage relaxation and support digestion. Its leaves can be used fresh or dried for tea, while its flowers provide nectar for beneficial insects throughout the summer.

Easy to grow and drought-tolerant once established, catnip thrives in full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil. It readily self-seeds, making it a useful plant for naturalized gardens.

Sow directly outdoors in late fall for natural cold stratification, winter sow in pots left outside under the snow, or start indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost. Seeds can also be sown directly outdoors in spring. Press seeds lightly onto moist soil and cover very thinly, as light helps germination.

Research has also shown that compounds found in catnip essential oil can repel ticks and mosquitoes, although the effectiveness of growing plants as repellents has not been established.

At least 50 seeds per packet.