# catmints (*Nepeta*)

Catmints are lovely plants with soft, green leaves and pretty purple flowers. They smell wonderful and attract butterflies and bees, making gardens a happy place!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Urban areas
- **Also known as:** Nepeta cataria

![catmints](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Catnip-blossom.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Jon Sullivan, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Catnip-blossom.jpg)

## Appearance

The catmints has fuzzy, grey-green leaves with a distinct minty scent and square stems. It produces tall spikes of small, tubular flowers that are often purple, blue, or white, making it a vibrant addition to any garden.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Lamiales
- **Family:** Lamiaceae
- **Genus:** Nepeta

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Egyptians may have used a type of catmint to calm their sacred cats!
- Humans sometimes brew catmint leaves into a tea to help them relax before bed.
- Its square stems and minty smell show it's related to many herbs like basil and oregano!
- The scent of catmint can sometimes even make big cats, like lions, feel playful!

## Special abilities

- **Cat Charmer:** Catmints can produce a special chemical, nepetalactone, that makes many cats feel happy and playful!
- **Drought Defender:** This plant has fuzzy leaves that help it save water, allowing it to survive in very dry places.
- **Pollinator Magnet:** Catmints display vibrant, nectar-rich flowers that act like a beacon, attracting many helpful bees and butterflies.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-90 cm
- **Spread:** 30-90 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to fall
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — visits flowers for nectar
- **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — gathers nectar during migration

## Traits

- [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always ask an adult before touching or smelling plants.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify catmints?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is catmints?

30-90 cm

### How wide does catmints spread?

30-90 cm

### How big are the flowers on catmints?

0.5-1.5 cm

### When does catmints bloom?

Late spring to fall

### Is catmints edible?

Yes

### Is catmints toxic?

None

### What is catmints's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Findlingspark Nochten (Boxberg/O.L., Ortsteil Nochten)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/findlingspark-nochten-boxberg-o-l-ortsteil-nochten) — Sachsen, DE · Park
- [Garten der Sinne (Merzig)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/garten-der-sinne-merzig) — Saarland, DE · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Catmints: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/catmints)