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PlantFiles: Faassen's Catmint, Ornamental Catmint
Nepeta x faassenii 'Walker's Low'

 
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Family: Lamiaceae (lay-mee-AY-see-ee) (Info)
Genus: Nepeta (NEP-eh-tuh) (Info)
Species: x faassenii (fah-SEN-ee-eye) (Info)
Cultivar: Walker's Low

Synonym:Nepeta racemosa

15 vendors have this plant for sale.

51 members have or want this plant for trade.

Category:
Herbs
Perennials

Height:
18-24 in. (45-60 cm)
24-36 in. (60-90 cm)

Spacing:
24-36 in. (60-90 cm)

Hardiness:
USDA Zone 3a: to -39.9 °C (-40 °F)
USDA Zone 3b: to -37.2 °C (-35 °F)
USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 °C (-30 °F)
USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 °C (-25 °F)
USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F)
USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F)
USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F)
USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F)
USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)

Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Sun to Partial Shade

Danger:
N/A

Bloom Color:
Blue-Violet

Bloom Time:
Late Spring/Early Summer
Mid Summer
Late Summer/Early Fall
Mid Fall

Foliage:
Grown for foliage
Herbaceous
Aromatic
Velvet/Fuzzy-Textured

Other details:
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Flowers are fragrant
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater

Soil pH requirements:
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)

Patent Information:
Unknown - Tell us

Propagation Methods:
By dividing the rootball
From herbaceous stem cuttings
From softwood cuttings

Seed Collecting:
N/A: plant does not set seed, flowers are sterile, or plants will not come true from seed

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Thumbnail #1 of Nepeta x faassenii by poppysue

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There are a total of 24 photos.
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Profile:

15 positives
4 neutrals
1 negative

Gardeners' Notes:

RatingAuthorComment
Negative DrG41 On Mar 19, 2012, DrG41 from Clinton, MS wrote:

I hope you all can give me some advice.

I purchase 9 Nepeta Walker's low and I planted them on Saturday. Unfortunately, the plants are laying on the ground. They are not in an upright position. Is this normal? If so, when should I expect them to become upright? Thanks fellow gardeners.

Positive gardenercarrie On Jun 14, 2011, gardenercarrie from Norton, MA wrote:

I had grown "Six Giant Hills" in the past and loved them. I decided to give "Walker's Low" a try, figurung that it would be a smaller version, more or less. I planted them last spring and they got HUGE! They are at least five feet in diameter! so now I have a spacing issue at hand, since I planted other plants too close. Bees are at them constantly! I absolutely love this plant- every garden should have some catmint!!

Positive cntryrocks On May 17, 2011, cntryrocks from Princeton, KS wrote:

Very pretty plant. Give plenty of room to grow. Mine got HUGE and it didn't take long! In my experience, this is a good filler plant since it compliments just about everything. It ties my, "I like to buy whatever I like," gardening beds together.

Positive sewbge On May 15, 2011, sewbge from Atlanta, GA wrote:

Grows wonderfully here in Atlanta. Mounds of blue flowers for weeks on end. The ones cut back over the winter are more dense than those left free to flower from last years growth. Just put nine plants in my front garden last fall. Another I have had in my back garden in full sun for at least 4 years rarely watered.

Positive RxAngel On Sep 12, 2010, RxAngel from Stratford, TX (Zone 6b) wrote:

I bought this on sale and on a whim when I was out shopping with my Mom. It is a pretty plant, with dark green leaves and a tiny purple flower that blooms in bunches. The flowers remind me of a tiny orchid, and the purple speckles make me wish the flowers were bigger. The smell is wonderful, and the fragrance will release even with the wind blowing it around. My cats, even my catnip-freak junkie, do not seem to notice or bother this plant, even after I cut it back.

I plopped it down in part shade, where it receives the morning sun. It just kinda sat and existed until the heat and dry of August, and then the thing took over the little flower bed almost overnight! It hasn't bloomed much, but I am sure it is because it hasn't received enough direct sun. Anything that loves hot and dry is a must where I live!

I will be looking for more of this to plant next year, and will also try to root some and over-winter it this year. Because of the lovely fragrance, I am also in the process of drying the cuttings (from hacking it back into shape) and am going to make catmint sachets out of them, and if I have some left, I might experiment with stuffed cat-toys.

Positive suzq232 On Jun 24, 2009, suzq232 from The Colony, TX (Zone 8a) wrote:

This is my second season growing Catmint and it's easy to care for and looks good. In my yard the plants in full sun all day are hardier than the ones in partial sun-the difference in growth is very clear. Flower spikes attract bees, moths, butterflies and cats. I'll be cutting back soon to see if it re-blooms; I didn't cut back last year until winter. I love this plant!

Positive Black_Eyed_Susy On Jun 10, 2009, Black_Eyed_Susy from (Zone 5a) wrote:

This blooms all summer long on the south side of my house and I love the color. Two bumblebees work this plant from sunup to sundown. I have noticed on two occassions goldfinches gathering in this plant. They fly away as soon as I open the front door, so I am not sure what they are up to. I have never heard of this plant being attractive to finches. I would love to know if anyone else has experienced this. My cats like to hide and lounge in the shade underneath this plant. I'm not sure if they like the scent or just the cover.

Positive tomato2 On Jun 2, 2009, tomato2 from Placitas, NM wrote:

This plant is bullet proof and thrives on neglect! From a 4" pot it will grow to a 2' high by 3' diameter in one season. Cut it to the ground each spring and stand back.

Positive Levdrakon On May 21, 2009, Levdrakon from Colorado Springs, CO (Zone 5a) wrote:

I started mine from purchased seed. It bloomed later in the season its first year, but this year it was just about the first thing to pop up and bloom, late March or early April. It survived the winter above ground in a pot just fine, and spring freezes and snow didn't seem to slow it down much.

Since I started it from seed, and have found a few little seedlings here and there from last year's plant, I don't know what to make of the claim it doesn't produce viable seed.

Positive DenaBolton On May 6, 2009, DenaBolton from Johnson City, TN wrote:

I have been growing this particular catmint for a number of years, and it is one of my favorites. It is extremely hardy in my Zone 6, and one of the first plants to bloom in the early spring. I have found that cats do not normally eat this particular plant; however, they do love the scent. If you ever notice a large depression in the middle of your catmint, then you probably have a cat that is laying in the middle of it. A neighbor's cat used to love to lay under my catmint and just smell it. By the way, this catmint will repel rodents and is also a great companion plant for roses.

Positive oldcountryrose On Apr 21, 2009, oldcountryrose from Edmond, OK wrote:

This is a most dependable plant. Blooms non-stop all summer, not bothered by heat and humidity, and is a first-rate favorite with butterflies, honey bees, bumble bees, hummers and giant moths. There is always something buzzing around my Walkers' Low. It does spread but not invasively and always looks neat if you shear off spent flowers for a new burst of color a little later. Is one of the first things to green up and bloom in the spring and mine (located on south side of house in full sun) were not even nipped when temps dipped to 22 degrees in early April this year.

Positive cactuspatch On Oct 26, 2008, cactuspatch from Alamogordo, NM (Zone 7b) wrote:

This plant blooms beautifully from early April until frost, which can be as late as Nov. in my yard.

I cut it back periodically and to the ground in February. My cats are not especially fond of it like they are regular catnip.

Positive janesdtr On Aug 23, 2008, janesdtr from Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 5b) wrote:

Beautiful and reliable bloomer from April to October. As for sterile seeds, I had a few nice nepeta seedlings this year that I will move elsewhere in the garden. Plants with sterile seed are never 100% sterile - they range from 93% - 99% sterile, so you may find a seedling or two in the spring.

Positive kizilod On Apr 29, 2007, kizilod from Uxbridge, MA wrote:

I have been growing this plant for four years. It is one of my favorites. For me, this plant grows 18" high x 36" wide. It blooms from late May until early July. By that time, it has begun to flop open a bit. I cut it back by half and get a second, lighter bloom from August until the beginning of October. On rare occasions it has self sown, but the seedlings never amount to much. I have had good luck propagating this plant by division. The Perennial Plant Association has named Nepeta 'Walker's Low' Perennial Plant of the Year for 2007.

Neutral Illoquin On Jan 29, 2007, Illoquin from Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) wrote:

'Walker's Low' is a garden, not a description of the plant which gets 30" tall.

Neutral JenniferE On Jun 13, 2006, JenniferE from Lebanon, PA (Zone 6a) wrote:

I love the fragrance and long bloom time of this plant. But it does get rather long and floppy after being in for a few years. Some of my plants are taking up a good bit more space than I had originally expected. Putting in a grid support early on has helped though.

Positive ownedbycats On Jun 5, 2005, ownedbycats from Southern, NH (Zone 5b) wrote:

This is a nice compact (for Catmint) plant that does not flop as much as some Catmints. Very nice foliage, and blooms for a long time. The neighbor's cats like this almost as much as traditional catnip, but they don't cause any permanent damage.

Neutral tjsangel003 On Aug 1, 2004, tjsangel003 from Warren, OH wrote:

I just planted this, so I wouldnt know if it's a success or not. Is it true cats are very attracted to this plant, the same as catnip? If so I'm in trouble!!

Neutral lupinelover On Jan 24, 2003, lupinelover from Grove City, OH (Zone 6a) wrote:

This is a sterile hybrid, so no seed is produced. It must be started from division or cuttings.

Positive talinum On Jun 10, 2002, talinum from Kearney, NE (Zone 5a) wrote:

This is a compact mounded plant with gray-green foliage. The flowers are lavender-blue and bloom April through fall. I really like this plant. I started several plants from soft wood cuttings last year. It was easy to propagate and seems to be very hardy.

Regional...

This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:

Alabaster, Alabama
Juneau, Alaska
Lake Wildwood, California
Long Beach, California
Redwood City, California
San Jose, California
Erie, Colorado
Security-widefield, Colorado
Wilton, Connecticut
Delaware City, Delaware
Dewey Beach, Delaware
Gainesville, Florida
Spring Hill, Florida
Blakely, Georgia
Dunwoody, Georgia
Marietta, Georgia
North Decatur, Georgia
Viola, Idaho
Bloomington, Illinois
Effingham, Illinois
La Grange Park, Illinois
Mount Prospect, Illinois
Spring Grove, Illinois
Waukegan, Illinois
Ames, Iowa
Bloomfield, Iowa
Johnston, Iowa
Lawler, Iowa
Sioux Center, Iowa
Princeton, Kansas
Rolla, Kansas
Barbourville, Kentucky
Smiths Grove, Kentucky
Bowerbank, Maine
North Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Norton, Massachusetts (2 reports)
Uxbridge, Massachusetts
Caledonia, Michigan
Harvey, Michigan
Menominee, Michigan
Arden Hills, Minnesota
Ely, Minnesota
Geneva, Minnesota
St Paul, Minnesota
Woodland, Minnesota
Clinton, Mississippi
Florence, Mississippi
Kansas City, Missouri
Walnut Grove, Missouri
Sandown, New Hampshire
Ocean View, New Jersey
Albuquerque, New Mexico
La Luz, New Mexico
Bridgehampton, New York
Elba, New York
Levittown, New York
Pittsford, New York
Holly Ridge, North Carolina
Marshall, North Carolina
Weaverville, North Carolina
Blue Ash, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Edmond, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Chiloquin, Oregon
Deschutes River Woods, Oregon
Ardmore, Pennsylvania
East Norriton, Pennsylvania
Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Nether Providence Township, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (2 reports)
West Goshen, Pennsylvania
Centerville, South Carolina
Aberdeen, South Dakota
Johnson City, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Belton, Texas
Brenham, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Garland, Texas
Gordonville, Texas
Hebron, Texas
Hereford, Texas
Mckinney, Texas
Princeton, Texas
Spring, Texas
Arlington, Virginia
Leesburg, Virginia
Manassas, Virginia
Mc Lean, Virginia
Stuarts Draft, Virginia
Wytheville, Virginia
Camano, Washington
Dishman, Washington
Kalama, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Tripoli, Wisconsin
Johnstown, Wyoming
Riverton, Wyoming



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