Well, you might know Nepeta Mussinii as Dwarf Catmint but it should be known as a super summer feast for pollinators. Those blue flowers are loved by all sorts of bees, our Nepeta is always buzzing! We have also found that a good cut in July gives a fresh burst of flowers that continue to work their magic into September. As to whether cats love it? Find out below!
🌸 Flowering: summer and into September
📏 Height: 30cm
🌿 Perennial
💧 Drought tolerant once established
Sow: although some say sow in a seed bed, our small garden doesn’t have the room, so between March and June we sow a tiny pinch into small pots and then keep the best seedling in each to grow on. That lets us tip them out with a good rootball to plant into the garden during September and October.
Grow: happy in any soil that drains easily, ideally in full sun. If you are planting as a row, then space about 30cm apart or pop individual plants in around the garden where you have space and want to bring the bees to.
Enjoy: Nepeta will bring a buzzy soundtrack to your garden. Last year I paired the low Nepeta with tall Verbena and had bees almost dizzy with delight.
🏡 In your garden
• City and courtyard gardens
• Cottage and informal gardens
• Rock and gravel gardens
• Pollinator plantings
• Flower borders and beds
• Vegetable and herb gardens
🐝 Pollinator friendly
• RHS Plants for Pollinators recommended
• A favourite with bumblebees
• A long season of flowers
• Also attracts other helpful garden insects, such as lacewings, which act as natural predators against pests like aphids
🌱 Companion planting
• We've used it as a low-maintenance pollinator attractor in the veg garden. You'll often see claims that the aromatic foliage repels aphids, but we haven't noticed a particular aphid benefit.
🍴 Edible
• Yes, this variety of Nepeta can be eaten, but we’ve not found it very palatable. You are much better growing a proper culinary mint.
💡 Did you know?
Some cats love this catmint; others aren’t interested. We’ve had a lot of cats in our lives. Beetle (the cat) liked sleeping on the plant. Tilly would sit next to it having the occasional chew. Ned doesn’t even spare it a sniff as he strolls past, and we deliberately planted it in a cat-friendly position!
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