Friday Foraging #94 - 14th March 2025

Catnip

Botanical name is Nepeta cataria. Also know as nepeta, catmint, catwort and field balm.

It is part of the Lamiaceae family, along with mint.

This plant is particularly exciting to cats and not just family felines, but lions, tigers and panthers too, so be careful !!

Catmint grows in any soil that drains easily, ideally in full sun. Most catmints thrive in dry soil as permanently wet soil can cause plants to rot off and die. They also struggle in deep shady corners. So if you are taking a cutting and planting in your own garden, think about were you place it. Be aware of planting low down if you have cats at home, they will eat it.

When out and about, you are looking for jagged, heart-shaped leaves and thick stems that are both covered in fuzzy hairs. The best time to search for wild catnip is between July and October when the flowers are in bloom. Catnip flowers bloom in large clusters at the tops of the plants and look like little tubular mouths, usually lavender-blue in colour, but depending on the breed can be also be white or yellow. The flowers produce in narrow spikes among soft greyish-green leaves. The floppy stems of these upright plants splay outwards.

Usually found along roadsides, the edges of fields and waste ground, be careful not to pick the plants that may have been contaminated with car fumes or animal urine! The plant does also like the land around streams, but raised higher in the drier soil.

How to harvest Nepeta - We want to encourage reblooming of the plant, so always , cut Nepeta down to the base of the plant. In warmer areas with a longer growing season, you can keep cutting it back to the base and it will continue to bloom in the same year.   Due to how we harvest this plant, never take more than what you need.