Catnip

Questions about catnip

Does catnip need sun or shade?

Catnip grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).

It wants dry, sharply drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does catnip grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

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

How far apart should catnip be planted?

24 in (60 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 2½ ft (80 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many catnip plants do I need?

At 24 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 3 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 6 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 10 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 catnip poisonous to cats?

Yes: mild toxicity to cats. Cats are attracted to it. Eating a lot can cause vomiting and diarrhoea in cats.

It is not recorded as toxic to dogs.

Rated from NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like catnip?

These come closest to doing what catnip does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker': the same job in a bed; 6 in narrower, wants moist soil.
• Red valerian: the same job in a bed; 6 in narrower, flowers late May to early September.
• Hyssop 'Blue Boa': the same job in a bed; 6 in narrower, flowers late June to early October.

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

Do deer eat catnip?

They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.

Will catnip spread?

It seeds itself about; the risk of it taking over is high. Self-seeds prolifically and has become a weed across North America. Cut it back before the seed ripens.

What does catnip look like in winter?

Catnip 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 catnip good for bees and butterflies?

Catnip is visited by bees, butterflies and moths.

It is a host plant: the caterpillars of hermit sphinx and false crocus geometer feed on its leaves. A butterfly can only lay its eggs on its host plants, so these do more for it than any nectar flower.