Main Photo Caption: Photo ca. 1907. From the book: Cat: Our domestic animals, their habits, intelligence and usefulness. Published 1907.
We love Catnip for both people and cats.
This short, bushy plant, which resembles mint (with whom it shares the family Lamiaceae) has soft, velvet-like leaves. Small pink-to-whitish flowers will appear later in the summer. It also makes a great houseplant for winter use. Just snip off a few fresh leaves for tea.
Catnip for People: Catnip flies under the radar as a herb for humans, but Catnip leaves and flowers have a long history of safe use for the people in cat’s lives. In a paper published in the journal Chemistry & Biodiversity, Tiwari and colleagues (2023) write:
Herbal tea made from the plant’s leaves and flowers is used to treat fever, colds, and coughs… The plant possesses various biological activities, i. e., analgesic, antiasthmatic, antioxidant, antidiabetic, cardio protective, antimicrobial, and insecticidal properties.
Harvest Catnip at any stage of the plant’s growth, even after the small pink-to-whitish flowers have appeared.
Fresh Catnip has a tasty slightly sweet and slightly bitter aroma and flavour. A cup of Catnip tea (fresh or dried leaves) is a good way to wind down the day. Use 1 tsp leaves (dried or fresh) per cup of water, steep 5 minutes.
Catnip for Cats: About 70 to 80% of cats react to the essential oil nepetalactone in Catnip. When they roll around in Catnip or rub against it, the nepetalactone releases “happy” pheromones/chemicals and a cat’s brain responds with delight. When eaten, catnip usually has a mellowing effect on cats. There is no hard or fast rule about how much catnip to give your cat. Offer a few pinches (fresh or dried) and go from there. Catnip is safe for cats, not addictive and the effect usually wears off after about 15 minutes.
How to Plant: Ease of Germination: Easy. Start indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost. Sow seeds just below the soil surface and then place in a sunny spot once sprouted.
Location: Sun, Partial Sun
Life cycle: Annual (it’s a short-lived perennial, so we are listing it as an annual)
Usable Parts: Leaves, Flowers (dried, fresh)
Uses: Tea for People & Treats for Cats
Height: 12 to 24 inches
