North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Nepeta cataria

Nepeta cataria L.

catnip, catmint

Image ID: 33731
Image by: Fleming, Gary P.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: NECA2
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Nepeta cataria
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2018-01-24

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: NEPET
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Nepeta
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Catnip
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 250 species, herbs, of Eurasia and n. Africa.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Harley et al. in Kadereit (2004).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: LAMIAC
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Lamiaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: Lindley 1836 or LABIATAE A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Mint Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 230-250 genera and 6700-7170 species, herbs, shrubs, vines, and trees, cosmopolitan. The placement in the Lamiaceae of several genera traditionally placed in Verbenaceae (e.g. Clerodendrum) is strongly supported by several lines of evidence.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Harley et al. in Kadereit (2004).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: Erect, naturalized perennial of fencerows, barnyards and other disturbed areas.
STEMS: Stems stout, 4-angled, branched, gray-green and densely furry. Native of Eurasia.
LEAVES: Leaves opposite, petiolate, oval to triangular with blunt or notched base, to 3 in. long, coarsely toothed, pale gray-green, white-hairy beneath; leaves release a strong scent when bruised.
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Flowers in spikelike, dense terminal and axillary heads; each flower white with purple or pink spots, Â¼ in. long, tubular and split into 2 lips.
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 2-3 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Opposite
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Bilateral (Zygomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: Jul-Oct

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
					x	x	x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: White

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Disturbed
NATIVE RANGE: Europe & Asia

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text:

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE:
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
1289	HORT	2004-12-01		View
1504	HORT	1988-02-01		View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
1350	1986-1125			View
3478	1991-0127			View
7443	2000-0188	2000-04-26		View
7984	2003-0036	2003-08-12		View
8936	1988-0095	0000-00-00	1504	View
9109	2005-0554	2006-06-19	1289	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
2352	1350	84	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
2353	1350	86	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
2354	1350	89	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
2355	1350	91	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
2356	1350	95	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
4984	8936	84	NCBG staff	1988-02-01	View
4985	8936	86	NCBG staff	1988-02-01	View
4986	8936	86	NCBG staff	1988-02-01	View
4987	8936	86	NCBG staff	1988-02-01	View
4988	8936	89	NCBG staff	1988-02-01	View
4989	8936	91	NCBG staff	1988-02-01	View
4990	8936	94	NCBG staff	1988-02-01	View
4991	8936	94	NCBG staff	1988-02-01	View
4992	8936	95	NCBG staff	1988-02-01	View
4993	8936	95	NCBG staff	1988-02-01	View
4994	8936	95	NCBG staff	1988-02-01	View
5731	3478	8	NCBG staff	1990-06-12	View
10450	7443	86	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
11229	7984	90	NCBG staff	2003-05-15	View
11688	9109	91	NCBG staff	1967-01-01	View
11689	9109	86	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
11690	9109	90	NCBG staff	2005-03-30	View
11691	9109	95	NCBG staff	2005-03-30	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: NECA2
USDA Common Name: Catnip
Native Status: L48 (I), AK (I), CAN (I)
Distribution: USA (AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY), CAN (AB, BC, MB, NB, NF, NS, ON, PE, QC, SK)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU	FAC	FACU		FACU	FACU		FACU	FACU	FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Nepeta cataria
COMMON NAME: Catnip, Catmint
SYNONYMY: [= C, F, G, K, Mo, Pa, RAB, S, Va, W, WV]
PHENOLOGY: Jul-Oct.
HABITAT: Fencerows, barnyards, disturbed areas; native of Eurasia.
COMMENTS:
RANGE MAP: Nepeta cataria.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Lamiaceae Lindley 1836 or LABIATAE A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Mint Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 230-250 genera and 6700-7170 species, herbs, shrubs, vines, and trees, cosmopolitan. The placement in the Lamiaceae of several genera traditionally placed in Verbenaceae (e.g. Clerodendrum) is strongly supported by several lines of evidence.
REFERENCE: Harley et al. in Kadereit (2004).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Nepeta L. (Catnip)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 250 species, herbs, of Eurasia and n. Africa.
REFERENCE: Harley et al. in Kadereit (2004).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Nepeta cataria in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Nepeta cataria in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Nepeta cataria in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Nepeta cataria in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Nepeta cataria in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Nepeta cataria

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 33731 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 33731 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 0 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)