Lesser Calamint

November 16, 2024 Post a Comment

Lesser calamint

Calamint is known botanically as Calamintha nepeta subspecies nepeta, and blooms all summer with small white flowers. Catmint is known botanically as Nepeta, and it has intense purple-blue flowers, with blooming concentrated primarily in the first half of summer.

What does Calamint taste like?

' The LESSER CALAMINT (Calamintha nepeta) is a variety of the herb possessing almost superior virtues, with a stronger odour, resembling that of Pennyroyal, and a moderately pungent taste somewhat like Spearmint, but warmer.

Is Calamint a mint?

Calamint is a member of the mint family, but it doesn't spread by runners, so it usually remains well behaved in the garden.

Is Calamintha nepeta a perennial?

nepeta - CALAMINT - THE 2021 PERENNIAL PLANT OF THE YEAR. Excellent perennial, blooming machine and pollinator magnet, modest and great-sized plant.

Is calamint invasive?

And should the word “mint" conjure images of plants running rampant, rest assured that lesser calamint lacks the aggressive nature of many other mints; it is not invasive or weedy in Pennsylvania growing regions.

Should I cut back calamint in the fall?

Calamintha Plant Care Cut back to 6" in fall when foliage declines or in spring. Divide in early spring. Self sows prolifically so remove spent flower heads to prevent seedlings. Prefers evenly moist soil.

Is calamint toxic?

Toxicity. The calamint plant is not considered toxic so it is safe to consume. However it is recommended that pregnant women should not handle or consume the herb.

Does calamint attract bees?

With blooms from early summer until frost, lesser calamint supports bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, while its aromatic foliage is deer resistant. Check out more long-blooming flowers for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.

What is calamint good for?

Calamint is a bushy herb. The parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine and to flavor foods. People use calamint for infection of the airways, insomnia, depression, seizure disorder (epilepsy), gout, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Does calamint need full sun?

Native from southern Europe to Great Britain, calamint prefers full sun and will tolerate partial afternoon shade. It does best in soils with good drainage, but once established, it can be drought tolerant.

How tall does calamint grow?

Hardy in zones 5-9, Calamintha grows 12 to 24 inches tall, with about a 2-foot spread. White, lilac, pink, red, or light blue flowers bloom from early summer into autumn. Some varieties, such as C. nepeta and C.

Is calamint an evergreen?

Perennial, evergreen, deliciously fragrant woody mint. Native to the Florida Panhandle, and is extremely cold tolerant and drought tolerant once established. Grows 12 to 18 inches tall, and 1-3 feet wide.

Should Nepeta be cut back in winter?

Even though it can be unsightly in winter, prune catmint in spring or once you know the growing season is truly over. Cutting it back even late in the season encourages it to resprout, and that new growth is susceptible to cold.

Does Calamintha nepeta spread?

Noteworthy Characteristics. Calamintha nepeta is a bushy, rhizomatous, perennial herb of the mint family that is native to Europe and the Mediterranean region. It typically forms a dense, indefinitely spreading, foliage mat with upright leafy flowering stems rising to 12-18” tall.

Does catmint come back each year?

How to grow Nepeta common name Cat Mint. Nepeta is a reliable perennial, very hardy and tolerant of all conditions and it returns reliably each year. Catmint produces clouds of soft blue and mauve in a garden and is a viable alternative to Lavender where the growing conditions are not suitable for Lavender.

Is Calamintha a good cut flower?

Easy to grow, reliable, and versatile, Calamintha is ideal for edging walkways, and it makes a lovely, pollinator-friendly, no-mow ground cover. Also known as Lesser Calamint, this versatile plant is deer resistant and an attractive filler in cut flower arrangements.

What can I plant with Calamintha?

Companion plants for the Calamintha nepeta are Magnus Echinacea, Blackeyed Susans, Becky Shasta Daisy, Little Trudy Nepeta and, of course, garden herbs. Mate with the Walker's Low Nepeta for a yin and yang effect for summer with its blue purple blooms aside the Calamintha's white cloud blooms.

Is Calamintha drought tolerant?

Grows well in full sun to partial shade in dry to average soil and is extremely drought tolerant.

What plants should not be cut back in the fall?

There is no need to cut back hardy geraniums, heucheras, hellebores, dianthus and moss phlox. Tidy them in the spring as needed.

How do you propagate lesser Calamint?

Sow the seeds ¼ inch deep or less in well-draining soil and keep them moist. Under these conditions, it takes about two weeks for them to germinate, with leafy growth coming soon after. The cuttings are likewise best started in the spring.