Catnip Nepeta cataria seed

LATIN NAME: Nepeta cataria

COMMON NAME: Catnip, Catmint, Catswort

Catnip is a modest and famous herb of the waysides, and its spikes of white and lavender bloom have been known to delight both the bees and the cats for a very long time. It grows as a vigorous, aromatic, herbaceous perennial, reaching up to a metre, with softly hairy, grey-green, mint-scented leaves and, through the summer, dense spikes of many small, two-lipped flowers in white, with a pink or lavender tint, followed by the small, four-parted fruits. It is a species of the mint family, native to southern and eastern Europe, the northern parts of the Middle East and Central Asia, and it is widely grown for its scent, its value to the bees and its famous effect on the cats.

Catnip belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae, and it is a species of the genus Nepeta. It is native to southern and eastern Europe, the northern parts of the Middle East and Central Asia, and it is widely grown for its aromatic foliage, its value to the bees and its famous effect on the cats.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

Catnip has a genuine and growing place in both chemical and behavioural research. It has been studied in chemistry, since the plant contains a remarkable aromatic compound, the nepetalactone, which gives the leaves their scent and which has the famous, curious effect on the cats, and researchers have examined the content of the plant, the compound and its properties, while the chemistry of the mint family has been of continuing interest. The plant has also been studied in the research on the behaviour of the animals, since the remarkable response of the cats to the nepetalactone has been studied, while the effect of the plant on the insects has also been examined, since the nepetalactone has been studied as a natural insect repellent, drawn attention in the international science and gardening press as a natural and gentle way to deter the insects. The herb has also been studied in horticulture and in apiculture, since it is a fine plant of the bee garden, and its cultivation and its value to the bees have been examined. For an herb of such fame, catnip has a rich and growing record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, catnip is a generous herb of the wayside. Its flowers feed bees and other insects through a long season, and its aromatic, leafy growth gives cover, while it is a modest and friendly presence in the hedges and the borders of the countryside.

Its economic value is real and varied. It is widely grown for the pet trade, since the dried leaves and the scent delight the cats, and it is a fine plant of the bee garden, while its chemistry has drawn attention in the international science and gardening press as a natural insect repellent, and the herb has also had its traditional uses. For a grower, catnip is an easy and generous herb, and for a gardener it brings scented foliage, spikes of bloom and the delight of the cats. The seeds are easy — sow them in a pot of moist, free-draining compost in a sunny spot, keep them lightly watered, and they’ll sprout within a couple of weeks, growing on into an aromatic, bee-friendly herb.

Favourite of cat lovers, for cats relish the intoxicating leaves. Tea is a popular nightcap, as it induces a good night抯 sleep. Remedy for colds and fevers.