Plant Profile: Catmint!

Written By Jason Rhodes

Catmint at Beloved Community Food Forest

Catmint (Nepeta) is a bright green-grey leafed plant that blooms purple, white or pink flowers in the spring and summer.  It is a Perennial herb in the mint family and related to catnip (Nepeta Cataria) which is also in the mint family. They are often considered the same plant, however catnip has a stronger scent than catmint. It is an edible plant that is deer-resistant. Though it is not a native plant, originally from the Caucasus and northern Iran, it is not invasive. Catmint leaves can be harvested as soon as the flowers begin to bloom; select individual leaves or flowers as needed. The leaves can be used fresh, dried, or frozen; when dried, store them in an airtight container to preserve freshness. We currently have a catmint bush in our open food forest at Beloved Community Church, feel free to clip a few leaves if you get a chance.

Fresh mint (spearmint, RIP our catmint plant) collected from Beloved Community Church Food Forest

Just like mint, catmint can be used in teas, sweets, salads or even just dried as some aroma for your house. It tastes pretty much the same as mint, perhaps with a bit of a lighter taste. If you want bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators brought to your garden, this is the plant for you! 

Recently I made a mint infused agave simple syrup, inspired by KantalopeKat on Reddit under r/cocktails. I made a similar drink to her Gin Tonic with catmint-honey simple syrup and made a Sake mint-agave drink.

Simple Syrup before boiling and after boiling with the mint added

Similar to her recipe, though without measurements, I boiled a bit of agave and equal parts water and once to a boil added cut up mint leaves. I then blended some ice with the sake (a cheap bottle) and the simple syrup as I was eager to try it before it could cool down.

My only glass cup featuring my lovely concoction

It had a slightly minty, slightly sweet taste. If you make the drink I recommend adding more syrup than you think you need to really get the minty taste. You can also use the syrup in teas and sweets, I imagine it would be lovely drizzled on pastries and such.

If you want to grow the Catmint make sure its gets plenty of sunlight, if you are in a hotter place, a bit of shade in the afternoon to give the plant a break from direct heat. It's a drought-tolerant plant but make sure to regularly water it especially when you first plant it. Make sure to keep an eye on how much rain your area is getting and don’t overwater if the soil doesn’t drain well to prevent root rot.

These are all the tips and how to’s for catmint. Good luck and happy planting! - Kio <3

Jason Rhodes