with Ted Smith
Throughout the passing centuries, many towns and cities have risen and then fallen and faded from memory. Every now and then, something special happens in one of these towns that then translates into an enduring tribute to the one-time existence of that brief place of human habitation. The Roman town of Nepeti (possibly Nepeta or Nepete depending on which source you trust) is just one such place. Long ago this town was famous for a particularly pungent herb that later adopted the Town’s name and has since gone on to a much greater world tour than the Roman empire ever dreamed possible. Known by the Latin name of Nepeta, catnips are a hardy and fascinating group of plants that have become common around the globe.
Common catnip, Nepeta cataria, is an incredibly special herb if you happen to share your home with a feline companion. Catnip plants contain an oil known as Nepetalactone that is picked up by a cat’s pheromone receptors and then instills a sense of absolute euphoria in the cat. Catnip is harmless and non-addictive for cats so allowing them to enjoy this treat seems both harmless and generous. When a cat takes this interaction a bit further and eats the catnip, an apparent sedative effect is set in motion. Oddly, kittens as well as about twenty percent of adult cats are immune to the effects of catnip. Catnip is also considered by many to be an effective human sedative as well.
The common catnip plant is rather drab and inconspicuous. It is a perennial herbaceous plant that is thought to be hardy to zone three. Bearing purplish green felt-like leaves and spikes of small whitish flowers, catnip will never announce its presence in the garden. There are several other varieties of catnip that are much showier. One variety even has tall spikes of large true blue flowers. Another, and much showier, member of the Nepeta family is referred to as catmint. Catmint, while not particularly attractive to cats, is a much flashier plant and deserves a prominent place in far more flower gardens than it currently occupies. This Nepeta is for the humans, not the cats.
Growing catnip is pretty easy. Put some seeds in the soil and stand back. Okay, it may take just a little more effort than that but really not much. Catnip plants can be bought from nurseries or cuttings from established plants can be rooted and planted, but the experts suggest that seed started catnip plants prove to be far less attractive to cats in the early stages of their growth. This could be significant for gardeners who don’t want every cat in the neighbourhood to be rolling in their flower beds. Locating your catnip in the garden is also a fairly easy process. While these plants do prefer a nice loamy soil and plenty of sunlight, they are quite capable of surviving in nearly any condition we can throw at them. About the only thing that really throws a catnip plant off its game is wet feet. Drought on the other hand doesn’t even make them blink. One concern you may have with catnip is their ability to set seed and begin popping up in all the corners and unexpected parts of your property. If you’d like to keep them under control, be sure to harvest the plants for drying while they are in bloom and before any seed heads have the opportunity to ripen.
So, other than using catnip to cause a mass stupor in the area’s cats, why would one want to grow this unassuming herb? Catnip has been used for centuries as both a culinary herb (although I must say it tastes rather repulsive to me) as well as a medicinal herb. For culinary purposes, catnip has traditionally been a meat tenderizer/flavourer but this usage seems to have been rather moderate at best. On the medicinal side, catnip is believed to have many useful properties, with that of sedative being the only one that has had much proper testing. A tea of catnip is widely known to have a calming soothing effect and is considered as effective as Valerian as a sleep aid. The teas have also traditionally been used to treat a myriad of other maladies including digestive issues and headaches. If you’d like to try a better tasting catnip that also has the added advantage of not being very attractive to cats, lemon catnip is the plant for you. A wonderful lemony flavour followed by a good night’s sleep is the promise offered by this interesting herb. Catnip poultices were used in ancient times to combat bacterial infection of wounds and to promote healing of all manner of wounds, rashes and stings. Catnip is also a great deterrent of rats, garden pest insects and biting critters such as ticks, fleas and mosquitoes. An Iowa State University study proved catnip to be ten times as effective as DEET for warding of mosquitoes!
Considering the buggy spring we’ve had, do you really need any more reasons to grow catnip?
