Perennial comes back year after year.

Catnip is a multi-purpose plant. The tea is very pleasant with a lemon-mint flavor and fragrance. Along with fresh catnip planted in containers indoors year-round, catnip toys filled with dried leaves will provide your feline friends with hours of fun. But be warned; they may ignore you for a while! Catnip is very hardy and grows in almost any soil; self-sows readily.

Botanical Name: Nepeta cataria

Family: Lamiaceae

Native: Eurasia

Hardiness: Hardy perennial in USDA zones 3 and warmer

Plant Dimensions: 3' tall and wide

Variety Information: Pale green, soft leaves that emit a characteristic, pungent, minty odor when crushed. Small white or lavender tubular flowers massed at the ends of stems in early to midsummer with scattered blooming through early fall.

Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Attributes: Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Good for Containers

Harvesting: Cut stems about 4" from the ground. Tie branches with string or rubber bands, and hang upside down in a brown paper bag, in a cat-free, dry location until leaves crumble easily. Keep dried flowers and leaves, discard the stems. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry location.