When do I cut back catmint?

Twice a year for the longest display. First cut (the Chelsea Chop) in late June: cut the whole plant to 10 cm after the first flush of flowers fades. This triggers a second, longer flush August–September. Second cut in late autumn (after the second flush): trim to 10 cm to tidy for winter. Without the Chelsea Chop, catmint flowers once in May–June and looks tatty all summer; with it, you get 4 months of flowering.

Will catmint attract cats to my garden?

Yes — but typically less dramatically than true catnip. Ornamental catmints (Nepeta × faassenii, N. racemosa — the garden classics) contain nepetalactone (the compound cats respond to) but at lower concentrations than true catnip (Nepeta cataria). Most cats are mildly attracted, sniff the leaves, sometimes roll on the plant. Heavy play with it like a toy cat behaviour is more common with true catnip. For minimum cat interest: plant Junior Walker or N. nervosa — lower nepetalactone content. For maximum cat attraction: plant true catnip (Nepeta cataria).

Why is my catmint flopping over?

Two usual causes. (1) Too rich soil: catmint flops in fertilised or compost-rich soil. Stop feeding, fork grit in next spring. (2) Vigorous cultivar in a small space: Six Hills Giant (90 cm) naturally flops in summer — that's its habit. For an upright plant, choose Walker's Low or Junior Walker (50–60 cm, naturally upright). Many UK gardeners accept the flopping habit at border fronts; it softens hard path edges.

What's the best catmint variety for the UK?

Walker's Low is the modern UK favourite — RHS Award of Garden Merit, 50–60 cm tall (despite the Low in the name), reliable hardy, flowers June–September with the Chelsea Chop. Six Hills Giant is the vigorous workhorse for larger spaces (90 cm). Junior Walker is a sterile compact form (30–40 cm) — doesn't self-seed, more upright. Avoid bedding-type Nepetas; they're often short-lived.

Will catmint survive a UK winter?

Yes — fully hardy (RHS H5–H7). Catmint dies back to the rootstock each autumn and returns each spring. Survives any normal UK winter without protection. Established plants are essentially indestructible. Two cautions: (1) Don't divide in autumn (wait for spring). (2) Avoid waterlogged soil — winter wet on heavy clay can occasionally rot the crown.

Are catmints good for wildlife?

Outstanding — one of the top UK garden plants for pollinator diversity. The small two-lipped flowers are accessible to bees of all kinds (bumblebees, honeybees, solitary bees), hoverflies, butterflies, and moths. Long-tongued bumblebees work the flowers from the front; short-tongued bumblebees and honeybees visit too. A patch of catmint in full flower is a constant buzz from May through September. With the Chelsea Chop technique, you maximise pollinator value across the longest possible season.

Népeta / erva-dos-gatos ornamental

Nepeta × faassenii

Plant catmint in spring, in full sun in well-drained soil — it's an easy hardy perennial that forms loose mounds of grey-green aromatic foliage topped by spires of lavender-blue flowers from May through September. Catmint is hardy (RHS H5–H7) and one of the most reliable UK garden plants for pollinators — bees of all kinds work the flowers obsessively. Six Hills Giant is the workhorse cultivar (90 cm tall, vigorous), Walker's Low is the mid-sized one (50 cm), and N. racemosa Walker's Low is more compact still. Cut the whole plant back hard after the first flush in late June (the Chelsea Chop) for a longer second flush August–September. Cats do roll in it — catnip (Nepeta cataria) is the species that drives cats wild; ornamental catmint affects them too but less dramatically. A bee plant first, a cat plant second.

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