What Is Catnip and How Does It Grow?

Nepeta cataria (commonly known as “catnip”) is an herbaceous perennial that hails from Mediterranean and western Asia regions. It has herbal, medicinal, and recreational uses for cats and humans, although cats seemingly love this plant more than we humans do!

Nepeta cataria affects cats in many different ways upon consumption, although a third of all cats do not experience the effects of catnip. This is comparable to how some people think the taste of cilantro is like soap. The cats that are affected by the herb experience a wide range of effects from lackadaisical low energy to alert play. My kitty Tiger loves Nepeta cataria and he experiences a wide range of effects when he consumes it. Sometimes he is distracted by what appear to be hallucinations, and he runs around chasing after something that is not there. Other times he wants to roll around and be insistently pet over and over. Giving my kitty Nepeta cataria is one of my favorite activities and I sense that it is one of his favorites too. 

A Catnip flower spike illuminated at night.

I use dried Nepeta cataria leaves for a lovely tea. Simply hang a bushel of catnip to dry, enclose the crunchy leaves in a tea strainer, and brew your tea. Add honey and lemon for a delicious, warm, soothing tea. Nepeta cataria is also an insect repellant due to its strong scent and can help keep garden pests away when planted near other herbs, vegetables, or ornamental plants. It is beautiful when it flowers and it is a wonderful addition to any garden.

CULTURE

Nepeta cataria is a fast grower that loves organically rich and well-draining soil. It is a plant in the Mint family Lamiaceae and shares some common growth habits of other plants in this family. Much like “Mint,” Nepeta cataria quickly establishes itself, although it does not overrun an area like Mint does. Catnip forms a large clump of erect stems that shoot into the sky once the warmth of spring and summer arrives. Atop each erect stem protrudes spikes of whitish-pinkish little flowers that the bees and butterflies LOVE. This herb reaches 4-5’ high and 3-4’ wide if left to grow to maturity. It towers over all the vegetables and flowers in my garden and provides a lovely, rich, and forest-green focal point. 

To grow this herb you can start seedlings from seed, or if you have access to Nepeta cataria that is already growing you can take cuttings for propagation. I started my catnip clump from seeds indoors and planted the plants out in the garden in late Spring. Growing Nepeta cataria from seed is easy, although propagating with cuttings is easier. 

My catnip bush pushes new growth in early Spring.

SEED

Start seeds in little 4” pots filled with sterile potting soil (Don’t bring soil from the garden inside, or you might be bringing hitchhiking garden pests inside too.). Wet the soil before placing the seeds. Then lightly press the seeds onto the potting soil and cover with a thin layer of more soil. With temperatures between 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit seeds will sporadically germinate over 2-3 weeks. I grew mine under LED grow lights, although you can also place them in front of a window that receives good light. Once the small plants are at least 4” high (and if the weather is warmer than 55 degrees Fahrenheit at night) you can set them outside for a week under cover. This process allows them to become acclimated to outdoor temperatures and become strong enough to live under full sun. After a week under cover transplant the starts directly into the garden where the plants have access to full sun and have plenty of room to grow.

STEM PROPAGATION

Catnip flower spike beginning to pop out!

Propagating Nepeta cataria by taking cuttings is as simple as it sounds. During spring and early summer take cuttings of Nepeta cataria with 3-4 leaf nodes. Strip the cuttings of all leaves except for a few at the top and place them in cups of water. Add rooting hormone if you have it, although this step is not completely necessary. Let them drink some water for a bit while you prepare their pots. Fill 4” square pots with sterile potting soil and wet the pots so that the soil is moist. Place cuttings in the pots and ensure the soil stays moist. You will have better rooting success rates if you cover the plants with plastic bags or a see through dome of sorts. 2 liter soda bottles can work for this too. Cut the bottle top off and place the bottle over the plant. This acts as a trap for moisture and increases the humidity within the bottle. Place cuttings with their coverings in dappled shade. Keep them moist at all times. Direct sun while they are rooting can kill them because the plants have little to no roots to stay strong during times of stress. After about two or three weeks the cuttings should have roots. If they are brown or wilted they are likely dead and did not receive consistent moisture. Take the coverings off the live cuttings and let them sit another week in their pots before transplanting them to larger pots or out into the garden.

And there you have it! That’s all I know about Nepeta cataria. I hope this has proven helpful and that you are readying pots now to start growing Catnip! If you still have questions let me know in the comments below.