Calamint

Questions about calamint

Does calamint need sun or shade?

Calamint grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does calamint grow in?

USDA zones 5 to 7. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).

Above zone 7 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does calamint flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers mid July to early October. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should calamint be planted?

18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is about its full width, so each plant keeps its own outline.

It grows 16 in (40 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many calamint plants do I need?

At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as runs of three or five along the front (or one even row, in a formal bed).

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is calamint poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.

"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.

Is there a native plant like calamint?

Calamint is not native to North America. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Threadleaf coreopsis 'Moonbeam': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late June to early September, yellow, not white.
• Scarlet coral bells: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers late May to late July, medium leaves, not fine.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat calamint?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What flowers after calamint?

Calamint is over by early October. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Japanese onion 'Ozawa': from early October to early November, 10 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Chrysanthemum 'Sheffield Pink': from late September to early November, 2½ ft tall.
• Tatarian aster 'Jindai': from early October to early November, 4 ft tall.

What does calamint look like in winter?

Calamint dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.

Is calamint good for bees and butterflies?

Calamint is visited by pollinators, bees, specialist bees and butterflies.