Plant Type

Ground cover, Perennial, Herb

 

Height Range

1-3'

 

Flower Color

Blue, Lavender

 

Flower Season

Spring, Fall, Intermittent

 

Leaf Color

Grey Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full

 

Water

Low, Medium

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam

 

Soil Condition

Average, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Mediterranean, Ranch

 

Accenting Features

Fragrance, Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring, Summer

 

Location Uses

Perennial Border, Parking Strip, Patio, Walkways

 

Special Uses

Mass Planting, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Hummingbirds

This Nepeta cultivar is a dwarf, mounding, bushy perennial growing to about 12 to 16 inches tall and wide. It has small, abundant, two-lipped, trumpet-shaped, dark blue flowers in loose, interrupted racemes in late spring, frequently reblooming in early fall. Grey-green foliage is oval, intricately-veined, and aromatic. Although Nepeta cataria is the true catnip which drives house cats ecstatic, the leaves of this hybrid catmint are also attractive, albeit less enticing, to cats. Ideal for hot, dry gardens.

Best grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Thrives in dry soils in full sun, and is very drought tolerant. Shear flower spikes after initial flowering to promote continued bloom. Divide every few years if the center starts to thin. Cut back hard, a few inches above the crown, in late winter to early spring, before new growth emerges. This plant is sometimes listed and sold by nurseries as Nepeta x mussinii 'Blue Wonder.'