Catnip (Nepeta cataria) may have a euphoric effect on cats and the plant deters insects pests arounndthe gardens.

When your kitty friend gets a whiff of catnip, it’s like a ticket to the ‘happy place!” Catnip can work its magic on your kitty in various ways when sniffed or nibbled. 

Catnip is a plant, also known as Nepeta cataria, and a member of the mint family. The plant grows wild worldwide and can be identified by its heart-shaped leaves, stems with fine green hairs, and white and purple flowers. The stems and leaves of the catnip plant contains nepetalactone, which is the chemical that makes cats react so strongly to it. The active component of catnip (Nepeta cataria) repels insects by triggering a chemical receptor that spurs sensations such as pain or itch.

Easy to Grow

Catnip is so easy to grow that you can propogate in the greenhouse and flower gardens. You can easily start plants from seeds in pots or in the garden. If you do grow it in the garden and let it go to seed, you could have a garden full of it next year. Although catnip isn’t too picky about where it grows, a rich soil in partial or full sun is best. Provide good air circulation around plants to avoid powdery mildew, a fungal disease to which this herb is particularly susceptible.

Catnip will attract all your pollenators, including honey bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Transfer your seeds around the garden to improve overall pollenation.

The most important health benefits of catnip include its ability to calm restless sleep, relieve anxiety and stress, soothe menstrual pain, eliminate eating disorders, and ease stomach discomfort. It also helps speed up the recovery from colds and fevers, detoxify the body, reduce inflammation throughout the body, and even speed wound healing.