Catnip

Herb · cool season · also called catmint

Soft, toothed catnip leaves
Photo: rebeck96, Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

When to plant

  • Start seeds indoors about 6 weeks before planting out.
  • Plant outdoors about 2 weeks before your average last spring frost.
  • Ready to harvest about 60 days after planting out.

Easy perennial; self-seeds. Also a good bee plant.

Frost dates depend on where you live. Enter your ZIP code to get exact dates.

Growing basics

Sun
Part sun (4–6 hours)
Spacing
18 in
Soil temperature
At least 45°F
Time to harvest
About 60 days
Containers
At least 2 gallons
Plant family
Mint family (herbs)
Harvest per plant
About 0.3 lb
Seeds keep
About 4 years

Companions

Keep apart: Horseradish. Horseradish spreads aggressively. Give it its own spot.

Keep apart: Mint. Mint spreads aggressively into neighbors. Keep it in a pot.

Keep apart: Fennel (bulb). Fennel slows the growth of most garden plants. Grow it on its own.

Keep apart: Sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke). Sunchokes spread aggressively and shade neighbors.

Grow it well

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