1.89 Catnip

Herb

 

Life History: Perennial
Exposure: Full Sun
Description: Enjoy a cup of hot catnip tea while watching your cats frolic in a patch of this fragrant, attractive plant. Catnip tea has a very pleasant lemon-mint flavor and fragrance. Along with fresh catnip planted in pots indoors, fresh catnip toys will provide your cats with hours of fun. But be warned; you may no longer be their best friend. Grows 1-3' tall. OTHER COMMENT: Smelling catnip, not eating it, is what gets to cats. They eat the catnip to crush foliage which releases aromatic compounds. An ancient remedy for a lot of ailments, these plants went wherever Europeans tried to settle. Though colonies of people did not always root, catnip did.
Seeding Info: OUTSIDE: Early spring. 3 to 4 weeks before last frost, is best. Plant as late as 2 months before first fall frost. INSIDE: 6 weeks before last frost. SPECIAL GERMINATION INSTRUCTIONS: Catnip seed requires light to germinate; either don't cover the seeds at all and mist them regularly to keep them moist OR cover them very lightly so seeds can still receive light. Seeds germinate best in cool conditions. IMPORTANT: If you don't want your cats or the neighbor cats to roll over or eat your plants, start with seed. Cats seem to go after transplants quickly and don't seem to notice seeded plants as quickly.
Culture: EXPOSURE: Full sun. Does well in hot spots. SOIL: Will tolerate almost any soil - not fussy. If grown indoors, use sterilized indoor house plant soil. WATER: Benefits from occasional deep watering, but is quite drought and heat tolerant. SPECIAL CARE: Cut back stems and blooms after first flush of flowers; this will encourage additional fall flowers
Harvest Info: TO MAKE TEA: Pour 1 cup boiling water over dried catnip and let steep. Use a little more catnip than you would regular tea leaves. TO DRY LEAVES: 1) during late summer in early morning after dew has dried, cut stems 3"-4" from ground. 2) find a warm location out of the sun. 3) tie branches in small bunches with rubber bands and hang upside down in brown paper bag. In 3 to 4 days, leaves will be dry and can be stripped from stems. Store leaves in airtight container.
Zone: Hardy in USDA zone 3 or warmer.