




Nepeta cataria
Catnip is a fun plant that many cats love! It has soft, green leaves and can grow tall. When cats smell it, they often get very playful and happy.
Habitat: Urban areas
The Catnip has soft, fuzzy, heart-shaped leaves that are typically silvery-green. Its small, tubular flowers, ranging from white to pale lavender, grow in dense, spiky clusters. Distinctive square stems help it stand out.





Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
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Ancient Romans used catnip leaves to make delicious sauces for their meals.
Catnip belongs to the mint family, which explains its strong smell!
Early settlers used dried catnip to stuff dolls, creating a calming scent!
Some big cats, like lions and tigers, also react to catnip!
Catnip has a special oil called nepetalactone that affects many cats, making them playful and energetic.
Catnip produces a compound that naturally repels certain insects like aphids, protecting its leaves from being eaten.
Catnip releases a strong minty scent from its leaves, which helps attract vital pollinators like bees.
Apis mellifera
gathers nectar and pollen for its colony
Bombus impatiens
efficiently collects pollen from the tiny flowers
Vanessa cardui
sips sweet nectar from the blossom spikes
Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators.
Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.
Domesticated refers to species that have been selectively bred and tamed by humans for specific purposes.
This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Catnip is safe for cats, but it's best to keep it away from pets that don't react to it.
30-100 cm
30-60 cm
0.5-1 cm
Summer-fall
Yes
None
Perennial
Insect
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New York, US
You might spot Black Cherry and Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander.
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South Dakota, US
You might spot Prairie Pasqueflower and Common Buckthorn.
View guide →

California, US
You might spot Bold Jumping Spider and Marbled Cellar Spider.
View guide →
British Columbia, CA
You might spot Oregon Grape, Common Snowberry, and Black Locust.
View guide →

Pennsylvania, US
You might spot Carolina Horsenettle, Common Soapwort, and Goldenrods.
View guide →