Catmint vs catnip
Catnip is the weedy herb that sends cats into a frenzy; catmint, from the same genus, is the long-flowering border plant. Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is upright, with small white flowers, and seeds itself everywhere. The garden catmints, such as 'Walker's Low', are grown for their long show of lavender-blue flowers over grey leaves; cats like them less, though some still roll in them. Grow catnip for the cat, and catmint for the border.
 Catmint 'Walker's Low'Nepeta x faassenii |  CatnipNepeta cataria | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 24 in tall, 2½ ft wide | 2½ ft tall, 24 in wide |
| Plant | 24 in apart | 24 in apart |
| Zones | 4 to 8 | 3 to 9 |
| Light | Full sun | Full sun to part sun |
| Soil | Dry and sharply drained, lean fertility | Dry and sharply drained, average fertility |
| Flowers | Mid May to mid September; lavender | Mid June to early September; white |
| Leaves | Fine, herbaceous | Medium, herbaceous |
| Job in a bed | Edging | Drift |
| Pets | No toxicity recorded | Toxic (mild) |
| Deer | No record | Not listed as resistant |
| Native | No | No |
| Spread | Low risk | High risk |
Rows where they differ are marked. Flowering times are for zone 5.
Which to choose
- Choose catmint 'Walker's Low' for a garden with pets and a longer show (18 weeks of flower against 13).
- Choose catnip for more shade, colder gardens (to zone 3), warmer gardens (to zone 9), dry summers and more wildlife.
Can they grow together?
Yes: they grow in the same conditions. What catnip brings beside catmint 'Walker's Low': its grey-green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; spires rising out of its mound; happy in the same dry soil. They share full sun and zones 4 to 8.
Read more: all about catmint 'Walker's Low', and all about catnip, each with a bed the planner designed around it.