PlantFiles: Persian Catmint, Mussin's Catmint
Nepeta racemosa

Just need one plant and seedlings will provide countless offspring, which can be welcome or unwelcome. (Seek out sterile cultivar Nepeta faasenni if you only want one!) They are very easy to transplant and are well-adapted to dry, heavy soils (mine!), Since they bloom early, they are there for many pollinators, as well as returning hummingbirds. Not bothered by rabbits, deer, or my cats:)

I love this plant. Do easy and looks great next to my roses. Right now - July - Stella d'Ors are popping up through the Cat Mint - beautiful contrast.

Very pretty and an easy grower. Once it sets seed, you will have little catmint plants *everywhere*, so be ready for that. If you don't want a variety that seeds a lot, try Walker's Low :)

I was impressed with its tidy habit and very pretty, stately flowers. Wonderfull fragrance. I will take this over the run of the mint anyday!

I grew my original plants from seed 4 years ago and they continue to thrive in pots and in my herb garden. I keep one pot specifically for my 5 cats who love to lie in it. The plant somehow manages to limp along despite the insult. I grow the rest around my blueberry bushes - the contrast in blue color and the differing texture adds "art" to my herb garden.

Sowed catmint seeds directly into the soil around several newly planted hybrid tea roses last year. This year it was the first thing to come up and bloom profusely after a very cold winter and spring. It is a delightful companion to hybrid tea roses, particularly yellow or yellow/apricot bicolor roses.

I've had a hard time keeping these going in my perennial gardens, as the neighbourhood cats have really taken a shine to them.
If this is not a problem in your area (or your cats have different tastes!), this is definitely a nice plant to have. It's fragrant and, if shorn almost to the ground after the first blooming period, it will come back very nicely for another go-around.

This is not to be confused with fluffy's catnip! Though some kitties may take a liking to it, this is a much more desirable perennial. It forms a low growing mound of fragrant foliage with sprays of lavender-blue flowers. It's very easy to grow and tolerant of poor soils and a wide variety of growing conditions. The foliage is used in teas and potpourri. After flowering give it a good hair cut and it'll bloom a second time. A nice plant for the herb garden or the front of the border.