Nepeta (Catmint)

Nepeta is one of the easiest perennials for gardeners who want months of color with very little fuss. Once established, many catmints tolerate heat, dry soil, and neglect, making them excellent for drought-tolerant gardens and plants that survive neglect. Its nectar-rich flowers support bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects, so it belongs in pollinator gardens.

Plant Nepeta in full sun and well-drained soil. The key advice is simple: avoid rich, wet soil, which can make plants floppy. Water regularly during the first season, then reduce watering once roots are established. Shear plants after the first heavy bloom to encourage fresh foliage and repeat flowers. For step-by-step help, use this guide to plant and care for Nepeta. Nepeta is especially useful among Zone 6 full sun perennials, Zone 7 full sun perennials, and Zone 8 full sun perennials.

For a classic long-blooming catmint, choose Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’. For compact, tidy borders, try Nepeta ‘Cat’s Pajamas’. For a neat mound with rich blue flowers, plant Nepeta ‘Purrsian Blue’. For larger, billowy planting, use Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’, or choose Nepeta ‘Cat’s Meow’ for a polished, floriferous habit.

Use Nepeta as a soft edging plant, rose companion, pathway border, bee magnet, or filler between stronger perennials. It pairs beautifully with salvias, roses, yarrow, ornamental grasses, coneflowers, and other perennial flowers and plants. Add it to a butterfly garden or a bee-friendly design using the best flowers to attract bees. Aromatic Nepeta also appears in guides to plants that repel mosquitoes and plants that repel insects.