Catnip

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a hardy, gray-green member of the mint family, best known for the euphoric response its scent triggers in cats — though people have brewed its leaves into a mild, calming tea for centuries. It grows as an easy, spreading perennial with small lavender-white flower spikes.

Growing Catnip

Catnip is a vigorous, drought-tolerant grower that thrives in average soil with minimal care — in fact, richer soil and heavy feeding tend to make it leggy and floppy rather than more productive. It spreads readily by both seed and root, so many gardeners contain it in a pot, especially if neighborhood cats are frequent visitors and prone to flattening an unprotected patch.

Uses

Dried catnip leaves and flowers are the classic filling for cat toys, prized for the harmless, temporary euphoria they trigger in most (though not all) cats. In herbal tradition, catnip tea has long been used as a mild, calming after-dinner drink for people, with a flavor somewhere between mint and sage.