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Catnip & catnip oil are used in everything from cat toys to insect repellent
Nepeta Cataria
Plant Type: Hardy Perennial
Growing Zone:
Catnip is a perennial herb with plus or minus 72 species. From the mint family and native to Europe it now grows wild throughout the United States.
Catnip is a hardy perennial plant that grows 3 to 4 feet tall. The heart-shaped leaves are green above and gray below. The plant has purple flowers.
Growing Catnip in your Herb Garden
Catnip is a hardy plant that can be started from seed or propagated by division and will grow in sun or shade. When young, the plants are decorative. As they grow older, however, they become scraggly. It's best to plant catnip as a background plant.
Keep in mind that Catnip is will grow in your garden as other members of the Mint family, it is best to stay aware of it spreading into other parts of your herb garden and becoming a very invasive pest "weed."
Drying Catnip, Harvest and Storage
For lack of a better way, cut and hang the mature leafy tops and leaves of the catnip in a dark space with good air-flow. Your catnip should be dry within a week. If it takes longer than a week, the herb will begin to lose color and flavor.
In spite of what many of the sites (that appear on the first page of search results) have to say about drying your herbs, DO NOT USE A MICROWAVE OVEN!! It is the quickest path to a ruined harvest.
Consider the purchase of good a food dehydrator to be used as your herb drier. You will be able to control the heat at 90 degrees F. Your food dehydrator will also produce good air-flow to safely dry the catnip leaves and other herbs from your herb garden.
Catnip leaves are used for herbal tea, and also are attractive in cat toys
Catnip, the source of catnip oil, or nepetalactone which is the essential oil that gives the herb it’s characteristic odor. It is well known for the effect it has on cats who love to chew on catnip. Catnip oil has recently been discovered to repel mosquitoes, though the pet industry is still the highest demand for the herbs.
Catnip has been familiar for at least 2,000 years, both with cooks and doctors
Catnip, before catnip oil was first distilled, was used by the Romans in salads that used a mix of herbs and greens. In the Middle Ages, some used it against leprosy. But its most common use was as a tea to ease cold symptoms, its mint scent a comfort. Today, some people use the leaves in tea, as a meat tenderizer and even as a folk treatment for fevers, colds, cramps and migraines.
Catnip leaves and flowering heads have been used in teas as a sleeping aid or to ease digestion. In a hot infusion, catnip plant can promote sweating and thereby helps with colds, flu or childhood illnesses. Catnip is also believed to calm upset stomachs and counter diarrhea and flatulence.
Thomas Kueny, Publisher - http://www.growing-herbs.com