Catmint 'Six Hills Giant'

Questions about catmint 'Six Hills Giant'

Does catmint 'Six Hills Giant' need sun or shade?

Catmint 'Six Hills Giant' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants dry, sharply drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled.

What zones does catmint 'Six Hills Giant' grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °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 'Six Hills Giant' 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 'Six Hills Giant' be planted?

2½ ft (75 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3 ft (90 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 3 ft (90 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many catmint 'Six Hills Giant' plants do I need?

At 2½ ft apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 2 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 5 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 6 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 'Six Hills Giant' poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension and the ASPCA. 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 'Six Hills Giant'?

Catmint 'Six Hills Giant' is not native to North America. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Autumn sage: the same job in a bed; 6 in shorter, 6 in narrower.
• Aromatic aster 'Raydon's Favorite': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers mid September to early November, blue, not lavender.
• Ironweed 'Iron Butterfly': the same job in a bed; 6 in narrower, flowers late August to early October.

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

What flowers after catmint 'Six Hills Giant'?

Catmint 'Six Hills Giant' 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, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Blue mistflower: from late August to mid October, 2½ ft tall.
• Bottle gentian: from late August to early October, 20 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does catmint 'Six Hills Giant' look like in winter?

Catmint 'Six Hills Giant' 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.