Catnip

Common name	Catnip
Latin name	Nepeta cataria
Life cycle	perennial
Height	3-4'
Spacing	2-3'
Bloom	July to September
Light	Full sun to light shade
Soil	Average, well-drained
Zone	Zone 3-10
Features	Attracts butterflies and bees, deer resistant

Use
Cats love sniffing and rolling in catnip. It is not eating, but smelling the catnip that pleases cats. They chew on catnip to bruise it, and thus causing the chemical nepetalactone to be released. Catnip does not affect all cats because the response is inherited by a dominant gene. Kittens less than 2 month old do not respond or respond only partially to catnip. Catnip works as a stimulant for cats and a sedative for humans. The nepetalactone chemical is similar to the natural sedatives (valepotriates) in valerian. Tea made from leaves is used as a digestive and sleeping aid. Catnip tea was once a standard beverage in England. Lemon catnip (Nepeta cataria 'Citriodora') makes a better tasting tea than the common catnip. To make tea, pour boiling water over dried catnip leaves. You need to cover the tea cup with a saucer while it is steeping because the flavor and aroma are very volatile.

Culture
sow seeds outdoors in spring or start indoors and transplanted . You can protect the young plants from cats by inverting a plastic milk crate over them during the first growing season. Catnip is pretty tough and needs little care once established and can become weedy. Catnip is most fragrant in full sun. Pinching back the plant when the first flowers appear will create a bushy plant with better leaf production.

Harvest
Harvest the young tender leaves and flowering heads when the plant has just started flowering. Dry them in the shade, strip and crumble them and store in jars.

Caution
Herbalist Michael Moore advises pregnant women not to use catnip because catnip may act to increase menstrual flow and there may be a remote chance of spotting. According to Varro Tyler, PhD., there is no evidence of harmful effects from consuming catnip and there is no reason to avoid catnip tea.

Other Common Names
catmint, catnep, catrup, catwort, English catnip, field balm, nep, nip

References


Bremness, L.  1994.  The Eyewitness Handbook of Herbs.  DK Publishing, Inc., 
	New York, NY.  page 195.

Clevely, A. and K. Richmond. 1995.  The Complete Book of Herbs.  Smithmark
	Publishers,  New York, NY.  page 103.

Duke, J. A.  1998.  "Healing Herbs from Your Garden" in  Organic Gardening. 
	Rodale Press Inc.  Publication, Emmaus, PA.  , page .



Halloran, K.  2000.  "Perky and Long-Blooming Calendula" in  Organic Gardening.  
	Rodale Press Inc. Publication, Emmaus, PA. , page 

Hobbs, C.  1998.  Herbal Remedies For Dummies.  IDA Books Worldwide, Inc.,
	Foster City, CA.  page 262-263.

Kowalchik, C. and W. H. Hylton.  1998  Rodales's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. 
	Rodale Press, Inc.,  Emmaus, PA.  pages 71-74.

Small, E.  1997.  Culinary Herbs.  NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 
	pages 401-406.

Sturdivant, L. and T. Blakley.  1999.  Medical Herbs in the Garden, Field, and 
	Marketplace.  San Juan Naturals, Friday Harbor, WA.  pages 175-176.

Sunset Books and Sunset Magazine editors.  1995.  Herbs  Sunset Publishing 
	Corporation, Menlo Park, CA.  page

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