Nepeta

nepeta

Nepeta

Nepeta, or catmint, is a very useful little plant.  Most varieties get about a foot tall, but ‘Six Hills Giant’ can grow to three feet.  Grey-green leaves and spikes of purple flowers are characteristic.  Bees love Nepeta and deer tend to leave it alone.  N. cataria is catnip, the herb of choice for many cats.  It grows to about three feet and seems to self-sow freely.  Nepeta is reasonably drought tolerant, but will look better with water.