Exploring Catmint Varieties
Catmint (Nepeta) is one of those plants I wish I’d discovered earlier. I spent years trying to find a perennial that looks good all season, attracts pollinators, tolerates neglect, and doesn’t get eaten by deer. Turns out catmint checks every single one of those boxes. And no, despite the name, it’s not just about cats — though my neighbor’s tabby does seem to have opinions about my garden since I planted it. There are quite a few varieties out there, each with its own personality.
Nepeta racemosa
Dwarf catmint is probably the species most gardeners encounter first. It’s compact, blooms like crazy with violet-blue flowers from late spring into early summer, and works perfectly as a border edging plant. The best part? Shear it back after the first flush of flowers and it’ll often reward you with a whole second round. Drought-tolerant once established, so it’s a natural fit for rock gardens or those dry strips along driveways where everything else seems to suffer.
- ‘Walker’s Low’: The name is misleading — this thing can hit 30 inches tall, which isn’t low by anyone’s definition. But the blooming period is incredible, often lasting months with minimal fussing. The aromatic foliage sends deer and rabbits looking elsewhere for a meal, which alone makes it worth planting. This is the variety I grow the most of, and I’m constantly dividing and sharing starts with friends.
- ‘Blue Wonder’: If you need something more contained, this is your pick at about 12 inches tall. The flowers are a deeper blue than ‘Walker’s Low’, and that color against the silvery gray-green foliage is really striking. Works great in containers or as a tidy front-of-border plant.
Nepeta faassenii
Faassen’s catmint is a hybrid, which means something important for gardeners: it’s sterile. No self-seeding all over the place. If you’ve ever dealt with an aggressive self-sower, you know what a relief that is. The growth habit is loose and sprawling — almost like it’s melting over the edges of beds and walkways — and it blooms from late spring clear through early autumn. That’s a remarkable run for any perennial.
- ‘Junior Walker’: Think of this as the apartment-sized version of ‘Walker’s Low’. About 18 inches tall, same deer resistance, same lavender-blue flowers, just more compact. I planted a row of these along my front path and they soften the hard edge of the concrete beautifully while keeping the rabbits from munching on nearby plants.
- ‘Kit Kat’: Only about 12 inches high, making it ideal for containers, small gardens, or the front edge of mixed beds. Don’t let the size fool you though — it produces flowers out of proportion to its stature. Tough little overachiever, from what I’ve seen.
Nepeta x faassenii
This hybrid brings together traits from its parent species into what I’d call the all-terrain catmint. Full sun, well-drained soil (even poor soil), and minimal water once roots are down. It forms dense, spreading mats that fill large areas efficiently and bloom for what feels like the entire growing season.
- ‘Six Hills Giant’: The name says it all. This one gets up to 36 inches tall and wide, with impressive flower spikes that bees absolutely mob. I use it in the back of borders where it provides a big, billowy mass of purple-blue. It’s vigorous enough that you might need to give it room — it doesn’t play nicely with delicate neighbors.
Nepeta cataria
This is the one the cats are really after — true catnip. It looks different from the ornamental catmints, with coarser leaves and white to pale lavender flowers. It’s taller too, reaching 3 to 4 feet, which makes it less useful as a border plant and more of a mid-to-back-of-garden specimen. I grow a small patch partly because it’s interesting and partly because it makes my neighbor’s cats absurdly happy.
- ‘Citriodora’: Lemon catnip. Instead of the usual musky catmint scent, this one smells distinctly lemony. Interestingly, cats tend to be less attracted to it — the nepetalactone content is different. But for humans, the lemon fragrance is lovely, and the dried leaves make a nice herbal tea. I keep a plant by the back door just because I like brushing past it.
Nepeta mussinii
Persian catmint is moderate in size with blue-violet flowers and that signature gray-green foliage. It’s sometimes lumped in with Nepeta racemosa (the taxonomy gets a bit muddled), but in the garden it behaves similarly — low maintenance, reliable blooms, good in borders and containers. If you already grow other catmints, this one fits right into the same care routine. I like it for filling gaps in perennial beds where something steady and dependable is needed.
Caring for Catmint
This is where catmint earns its keep: it barely needs any care. Full sun is ideal, though it’ll handle partial shade without too much complaint (blooming might be less prolific). Well-drained soil is essential — wet feet lead to root rot, which is about the only way to kill a catmint quickly. Once established, these plants are remarkably drought-resistant. I’ve watched mine sail through hot, dry weeks without supplemental water while other perennials were wilting.
The one maintenance task worth doing is the post-bloom cutback. When that first wave of flowers fades, shear the whole plant back by about half. It looks rough for a week, then pushes out fresh growth and often a solid second bloom. This also keeps the plant from getting floppy and splaying open in the middle. Skip the heavy fertilizer and definitely don’t overwater. Catmint performs best when you essentially leave it alone — my kind of plant.
The Cat Factor
If you grow Nepeta cataria especially, be prepared for feline visitors. The compound nepetalactone triggers that well-known euphoric response in cats, and they can roll around in your plants enthusiastically enough to flatten them. The ornamental catmints (racemosa, faassenii) affect cats less, but it varies. If neighborhood cats are crushing your plants, a simple wire cage or strategically placed thorny branches can discourage them without hurting anyone. Or just choose a variety that cats find less interesting, like the lemon-scented one.
Pests and Problems
Catmint is one of the most trouble-free perennials I grow. Deer avoid it, rabbits ignore it, and serious pest or disease issues are rare. The main things to watch for are powdery mildew in humid conditions with poor air circulation, and root rot from waterlogged soil. Both are preventable with proper spacing and planting in well-drained ground. If mildew shows up, improve airflow and make sure you’re not watering the foliage.
Landscape Uses
Catmint is incredibly versatile in the garden. I use it along pathways where people brush against it and release that lovely herbal scent. It’s fantastic paired with roses — the purple-blue flowers complement pink and red roses beautifully, and both plants attract pollinators. In mixed perennial borders, it works as a flowing, soft filler between showier plants. I’ve also tucked it into the vegetable garden where its aromatic foliage seems to help confuse pests looking for my tomatoes and squash. Along a walkway edge or spilling over a low wall, catmint’s relaxed, mounding habit softens hard lines in a way that few other plants can match.
