Nepeta x. faassenii
Hey , get your cats straight ! CatMINT is not catNIP .
Unlike its cousincatnip ( Nepeta cataria ) , Faassen ’s Nepeta cataria does not drive felines fantastic , so you are free to establish it in your garden without fear of your yard turn into a resort for tiddly tabby cat .
All members of theNepetagenus produce nepetalactone , the kitten intoxicant , but the amount in Faassen ’s catmint is substantially less than the amount recover in Nepeta cataria .
Nepetax.faasseniiis a great ground cover solution for both shady and sunny areas. And it can tolerate nearly any soil condition and pH levels. Photo by Gretchen Heber.
So you may end up with some super - sensitive kitty-cat in your one thousand , but not a convention .
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Catmint is a loosely mounded herbaceous perennial with attractive grey - green foliage .
Nepetax.faasseniiis a great ground cover solution for both shady and sunny areas. And it can tolerate nearly any soil condition and pH levels. Photo by Gretchen Heber.
Once established , it’sheat and drought tolerant , which is why I love it for my Austin garden .
What You’ll Learn
Cultivation and History
The name of the genus for this plant – genus Nepeta – derives from Nepete , an ancient Etruscan metropolis now known as Nepi in Tuscany , Italy .
The plant of this genus are aboriginal to southerly and eastern Europe , the Middle East , central Asia , and part of China .
Nepetais a genus within themint ( Lamiaceae ) familyand include about 250 different species of catmints and catnips .
TheN. x. Faasseniicultivar was first crop by Faassen Nurseries in Tegelen , Netherlands , as a hybrid ofN. racemosaandN. nepetella(standard catmint ) . You may sometimes seeN. x. FaasseniicalledN. mussinii .
horticulture Book will tell you this is a full sunshine plant , but as we ’ve hash out , full sun does n’t always intend full sun .
In the brutal heat and humidness of Texas , for example , it appreciates some specter . When planted in the shade , the flora will be a bite floppy , andfunction as a land binding , which is just what I ’m after .
In sun , it ’s more upright , produce from 12 to 24 in magniloquent . A unmarried works can mature to be 12 to 28 inches all-encompassing .
It produces spikes of 1/2 - in , lilac - dreary flower that blossom from late fountain into fall .
Theflowers pull bees , butterfly , and hummingbird .
Like its mint cousin , it is a vigorous circulate herbaceous flora that has a inclination to diffuse if left unchecked .
Propagation
N. x. Faasseniiis uninspired , so while it may produce seminal fluid , they are useless .
mucilage ‘ em to a bit of paper and call it art – that ’s all you ’ll get out of them .
Division
Divide Faassen ’s catmint as you would any perennial . you’re able to receive our tip here .
From Cuttings
To propagate from cuttings , come springtime , take a sharp knife and cut a four- or five - inch piece of stem , just below a folio . Strip off all but the top three to four leaves .
Fill a diminished pot with a copious potting mixture ; insert a pencil into the center of the kitty to create a hole .
Dip the terminal of the cutting into powdered root endocrine and insert into the muddle in the potting mix . weewee well .
From Seedlings/Transplanting
You may also be able to find seedlings in local garden centers and online .
To implant them , just grasp a muddle about the same sizing as the container the seedling come in in , drop it in , backfill if necessary , and give it a lot of piddle for the first duet workweek .
How to Grow
As mentioned above , if you live on in the South , you ’ll likely desire to plant Faassen ’s catnip in a semi - fly-by-night maculation .
gardener from other parts of the country can plant in a full sun emplacement .
It appreciates well - drained soil , but this does n’t have to be anything fancy – mean , ironic to spiritualist is o.k. .
Water well until establish , and then leave it alone . I irrigate mine every couple weeks if we have n’t had any rain .
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
To advance repetition blooming , trim down the plant back by about one-half after the initialflush of flowersfades .
Cultivars to Select
‘ Walker ’s Low ’ is the cultivar ofN. x. FaasseniiI most often see and try about , though this nickname is a bit of a misnomer , because it can maturate up to two feet tall .
It has silver - gray leaf , lilac - aristocratic blossom and open two to three foot .
‘ Walker ’s Low ’ via Nature Hills Nursery
The Perennial Plant Association named ‘ Walker ’s Low ’ its “ Perennial of the Year ” in 2007 .
you may find an 18- to 30 - month - old plant life in one - gallon containersat Nature Hills Nursery .
A more succinct adaptation of ‘ Walker ’s Low ’ is ‘ Jr. Walker , ’ which can grow to about the same superlative as ‘ Walker ’s Low ’ without as much spread .
Find them at your local plant centers at the beginning of spring .
Other cultivar to search for include :
Managing Pests and Diseases
This plant is really quite difficulty - free , but we ’ll have-to doe with on a few problems you might run into .
Insects
You may see aphids , leafhopper , type slug , snails , wanderer hint , orwhiteflies .
For aphid , blast them off with a watercourse of piss .
In the case of leafhopper , if the plague is risky , you might have to draw up affected plants .
If it ’s not too bad , use an insecticidal soap such as this one from Bonide , available from Arbico Organics .
you’re able to get rid of slugs and snails with a bait such as Sloggo , pig landing strip , beer traps , or with humiliated egg shell . watch more about kill slugs and snails .
wanderer mitescan be treated with neem oil .
If you see whitefly , look at using pheromone traps .
Disease
In hot and humid conditions , gardener might see disease due to the bacterial pathogenPseudomonas .
This can be controlled with a antibacterial drug .
Best Uses
Catmint is often used in rock garden , or as a delimitation plant .
I have some growing in a pocket-sized area as a ground cover .
Quick Reference Growing Chart
Easy as Pie and Feline-Free
If you ’re in need of a heat - loving , drouth - tolerant , low - maintenance flora , considerNepetax . Faassenii .
Just plump it in well - drained soil , water it for a couplet weeks , and then seat back and enjoy .
Remember thatalthough it ’s kin to catnip , it stop far less of the chemic chemical compound that drive guy wild , so you’re able to safely plant Faassen ’s Nepeta cataria without fearing a clowder of cats will descend upon your garden .
And for moreherb growing guides , contain these out next :
exposure by Gretchen Heber © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL right field RESERVED.See our TOSfor more particular . Product photo via Nature Hills Nursery . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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Gretchen Heber
