Plant · P-131

Catmint

Nepeta racemosa

Catmint blooms from spring through the end of summer if the spent flower spikes are sheared after each flush, holding nectar for pollinators longer than almost anything else in this insectary - bees, butterflies and hummingbirds all use it, and deer and rabbits leave it alone entirely. It doubles as a small-scale groundcover, shading soil along a bed edge while it feeds insects. In long hot summers it wants light afternoon shade, since it is somewhat intolerant of deep heat and humidity on its own; give it that and rocky, well-drained soil and it holds up well. What garden centers sell as this plant is usually a sterile hybrid rather than the wild species, so it won't set seed and spread the way a related plant like catnip does.