wildflower
Catnip
Nepeta cataria
Low riskEdiblecommon
Gray-green mint that makes cats foolish and people sleepy. Old barn-lot plant.
Downy gray-green leaves, coarsely toothed, on square stems. Flowers are white with fine purple spots, in interrupted spikes. Crushed leaf is minty and musky.
- Habitat
- Old gardens, barn lots, waste ground.
- Season
- June–September.
- Size
- 1–3 ft
- Field marks
- Gray down; mint smell; spotted white lips
Use
Mild rest tea, especially for a fussy low fever. See Apothecary. Cage it or the cats harvest it first.