Plant Type

Ground cover, Perennial, Herb

 

Height Range

1-3'

 

Flower Color

Blue, Lavender

 

Flower Season

Spring

 

Leaf Color

Grey Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full

 

Water

Low, Medium

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam

 

Soil Condition

Average, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Mediterranean, Ranch, Spanish

 

Accenting Features

Fragrance, Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring, Summer

 

Location Uses

Perennial Border, Parking Strip, Walkways

 

Special Uses

Mass Planting, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Hummingbirds

Nepeta is a fierce little perennial, growing in poor sooils and sunny, hot conditions with never a whimper. Though different nepeta vary is size and flower color, as a general rule, all are mounded and densely leaved, with heavily crinkled, aromatic, grey-green, slightly fuzzy foliage. Flowers are like all flowers in the mint family, though on nepeta the stems tend to be shorter and the flowers closer to the foliage. Usually blue to violet, blooming late spring and sometimes again in the fall. A great addition to a sunny garden or parkstrip. Many cultivars available.

Best grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Thrives in dry soils in full sun, and is very drought tolerant. Shear flower spikes after initial flowering to promote continued bloom. Divide every few years if the center starts to thin. Cut back hard, a few inches above the crown, in late winter to early spring, before new growth emerges.