Catmint 'Purrsian Blue'

Questions about catmint 'Purrsian Blue'

Does catmint 'Purrsian Blue' need sun or shade?

Catmint 'Purrsian Blue' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants dry, sharply drained soil, on the lean side, with no feeding, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does catmint 'Purrsian Blue' grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 8. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Above zone 8 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 catmint 'Purrsian Blue' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late May to early September. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

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 catmint 'Purrsian Blue' be planted?

20 in (50 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

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 catmint 'Purrsian Blue' plants do I need?

At 20 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

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

In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.

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

Is catmint 'Purrsian Blue' poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension. Not considered poisonous. Cats are attracted to it and may roll on and flatten the plant.

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

Is there a native plant like catmint 'Purrsian Blue'?

Catmint 'Purrsian Blue' comes from Europe. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Stokes' aster: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers late June to mid August, medium leaves, not fine.
• Tickseed 'Early Sunrise': the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 4 in narrower, yellow, not blue.

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

Do deer eat catmint 'Purrsian Blue'?

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 catmint 'Purrsian Blue'?

Catmint 'Purrsian Blue' is over by early September. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Garden chrysanthemum: from mid September to late October, 24 in tall.
• October daphne: from mid September to late October, 8 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Meadow saffron: from mid September to mid October, 6 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does catmint 'Purrsian Blue' look like in winter?

Catmint 'Purrsian Blue' 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 catmint 'Purrsian Blue' good for bees and butterflies?

Catmint 'Purrsian Blue' is visited by pollinators and bees.