Knowing your climate zone will help you decide the best time to sow the vegetables, herbs and flowers you want to grow, and which varieties should perform well in your garden. Growing plants that are suited to your climate zone will usually give you the best results in your garden.
This How to Grow guide details everything a home gardener needs to know to plant, grow and care for Catmint (Nepeta mussinii).
Catmint (Nepeta) is a versatile herbaceous perennial that adds beauty and fragrance to gardens with its aromatic gray-green foliage and showy blooms. Growing catmint from seed is an easy and rewarding way to add this classic plant to your landscape. In this comprehensive guide you’ll learn everything you need to successfully grow catmint from seed, from start to finish.
Catmint belongs to the Nepeta genus in the mint family Lamiaceae With over 250 species, catmints are native across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Popular garden varieties include
-
Catmint (Nepeta cataria) – Features white to pale lavender flowers. Known for its appeal to cats.
-
Persian catmint (Nepeta mussinii) – Produces clouds of light blue to lavender flowers on compact mounding plants
-
Walker’s Low catmint (Nepeta x faassenii ‘Walker’s Low’) – Blooms with lavender-blue flowers on sturdy 2 ft plants. Sterile so doesn’t self-seed.
These hardy perennials thrive in full sun and average to dry soils. Once established, catmint is drought tolerant. The aromatic foliage acts as a deer deterrent. Catmint spreads readily by seed and rhizomes, making it a good groundcover.
When to Plant Catmint Seeds
Catmint can be started indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost for transplanting outside later on. It can also be directly sown in the garden once the soil has warmed up in spring.
Indoors: Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost date.
Outdoors: Direct sow in the garden after the last frost when soil temperatures reach 65°F.
Where to Plant Catmint
When preparing your garden bed or containers, choose a site that provides:
-
Full sun – Catmint thrives in at least 6 hours of direct sun per day.
-
Well-draining soil – Average to dry soils are ideal. Avoid wet, compacted sites.
-
Neutral pH – Target a soil pH around 6.6 to 7.5. Sweeten overly acidic soils with lime.
-
Good air circulation – Space plants 12-24 inches apart depending on variety size.
How to Plant Catmint Seeds
Catmint seeds need light to germinate. Follow these tips when planting:
Indoors: Fill sterile seed starting mix in containers, press down lightly and scatter seeds across the surface. Gently press seeds into the mix and cover very lightly with more mix or vermiculite.
Outdoors: Prepare a seed bed and rake smooth. Scatter seeds and press gently into the soil surface. Cover with 1/8 inch of fine soil or compost.
Depth: Do not bury catmint seeds; surface sow seeds or barely cover.
Moisture: Maintain even moisture on soil surface during germination. Avoid letting beds dry out.
Growing Catmint from Seedlings
Once seedlings emerge, here are some tips for caring for young catmint plants:
-
Water regularly until plants become established. Mature catmint is quite drought tolerant.
-
Thin or transplant seedlings 12-18 inches apart when they reach 2 inches tall.
-
Apply an organic mulch around plants to retain moisture and reduce weeds.
-
Pinch back tips to encourage branching and full, bushy growth.
-
Prune spent flowers to promote continuous blooms through the growing season.
Harvesting Catmint
-
Snip leaves as needed once plants are established. Cut back flowering stems after blooms fade.
-
For the best flavor, harvest leaves before plants flower. Air dry leaves out of direct sun.
-
Divide congested plants in spring or fall to propagate more catmint. Replant divisions or give them away!
With proper care, catmint is an easy and rewarding herb to grow from seed. Follow this guide for the best results raising catmint from seed and enjoy years of beauty from these fragrant perennial plants.
How to Use Climate Zones
First, find your climate zone using the map or descriptions below. Next, refer to our sowing chart, which provides approximate sowing times for our most popular seeds for each climate zone.
While knowing your climate zone is helpful when planning your garden, there are many other factors that may affect how your plants grow, including unseasonal weather conditions, the specific microclimate of your garden and how you care for your plants. You know your garden better than us, so if a different climate zone seems to ‘fit’ your garden better, go ahead and use it as a guide.
Our climate zones cover huge areas of Australia, so we recommend gardeners also consider their local conditions when planning what and when to plant. For example, gardeners in alpine areas have shorter growing seasons than gardeners in cool coastal areas, even though both alpine and coastal areas are included in our ‘Cool Temperate’ climate zone. We recommend gardeners in cool regions look at the ‘days to maturity’ information provided for each variety and choose those that will mature in a short (6-12 week) growing season.
- Includes: Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Exmouth
- High humidity summers with most rainfall in summer and dry, warm winters. Includes northern Australia from Exmouth (WA) across to south of Townsville (Qld).
- Set as my climate My climate
- Includes: Alice Springs, Mildura, Albury-Wodonga, Shepparton, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo
- Hot dry summers, winters can be warm or cool depending on the region. Includes a large area of central Australia from the WA coast to Charleville (Qld), Tamworth (NSW) and Albury-Wodonga (NSW/Vic).
- Set as my climate My climate
- Includes: Brisbane, Bundaberg, Coffs Harbour, Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Mackay, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast
- Warm humid summers with high summer rainfall and mild winters. Includes coastal Queensland and northern NSW from north of Mackay to just south of Coffs Harbour.
- Set as my climate My climate
- Includes: Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Toowoomba, Central Coast NSW, Wollongong, Bunbury
- Moderate humidity and reliable rainfall, with four distinct seasons. Includes coastal areas from north of Port Macquarie to south of Woollongong in NSW, coastal SA and the southeastern coast of WA.
- Set as my climate My climate
- Includes: Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, Launceston, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mt Gambier
- Low humidity with most rainfall in winter; hot dry summers and cold winters. Some regions will experience frosts and snow. Includes coastal areas of south-eastern Australia and alpine areas of Victoria, NSW and Tasmania.
- Set as my climate My climate
What if I can’t find my climate zone? If you can’t locate your zone from looking at the map or the descriptions on this page, we suggest that you think of an area that has a climate that’s similar to yours and use the zone for that area as a guide.
What if I live on the border of two zones? If you live near the border between two zones we suggest you read the descriptions for both zones and decide which best describes the climate where you live. Depending on the microclimate in your garden, you may be able to grow a wider range of plants over a longer season than others in your zone. Lucky you!
What is a microclimate? A microclimate is a small area where the temperature or humidity differs to the climate of the surrounding area. For example, if you live in a climate zone where frosts are common but your garden is protected by buildings or large trees, your garden may be frost-free. Similarly, if you live in a warm temperate zone but your garden is at a high altitude your microclimate may have more in common with the cool temperate zone, so use this as a guide when deciding which zone is relevant to you.
Can I grow varieties not listed for my climate zone? While our climate zones and sowing chart will help you decide what is suitable to plant in your garden, they provide general guidance only. We recommend you start by sowing seed that’s recommended for your climate zone; once you get a few successes under your belt you can experiment with varieties in neighbouring zones and see how you go – gardening is all about experimenting after all!
Grow Guide #2405 Family: Lamiaceae Binomial name: Nepeta mussinii Life Cycle: Perennial
This How to Grow guide details everything a home gardener needs to know to plant, grow and care for Catmint (Nepeta mussinii).
When to Sow Catmint Seeds
Catmint is a perennial plant that grows year round in most climates. Use the table below to identify the best time of year to sow catmint seeds in your climate.
| JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cool | |||||||||||
| Temperate | |||||||||||
| Sub-Tropical | |||||||||||
| Tropical | |||||||||||
| Arid |
- Includes: Alice Springs, Mildura, Albury-Wodonga, Shepparton, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo
- Hot dry summers, winters can be warm or cool depending on the region. Includes a large area of central Australia from the WA coast to Charleville (Qld), Tamworth (NSW) and Albury-Wodonga (NSW/Vic).
- Includes: Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Exmouth
- High humidity summers with most rainfall in summer and dry, warm winters. Includes northern Australia from Exmouth (WA) across to south of Townsville (Qld).
- Includes: Brisbane, Bundaberg, Coffs Harbour, Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Mackay, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast
- Warm humid summers with high summer rainfall and mild winters. Includes coastal Queensland and northern NSW from north of Mackay to just south of Coffs Harbour.
- Includes: Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Toowoomba, Central Coast NSW, Wollongong, Bunbury
- Moderate humidity and reliable rainfall, with four distinct seasons. Includes coastal areas from north of Port Macquarie to south of Woollongong in NSW, coastal SA and the southeastern coast of WA.
- Includes: Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, Launceston, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mt Gambier
- Low humidity with most rainfall in winter; hot dry summers and cold winters. Some regions will experience frosts and snow. Includes coastal areas of south-eastern Australia and alpine areas of Victoria, NSW and Tasmania.
Catmint plants are best grown in full sun. Choose a location that will receive at least 6 hours of full sun each day.
Catmint plants are perennial, meaning they live for several years. Choose a permanent position where plants can grow undisturbed by regular digging.
Catmint plants need a well drained soil enriched with plenty of organic matter. Prepare soil by weeding it thoroughly, digging it over to loosen it and adding aged animal manure or compost. Keep the area free of weeds until planting. Learn more about preparing soil for planting here.
Catmint plants can be grown in containers. If possible choose a variety that’s recommended for container growing. Use a good quality potting mix and make sure your container is large enough for mature plants; a minimum of 10 litres is recommended for catmint. During the growing season, keep in mind that container grown plants may need additional fertiliser to encourage healthy growth.
How to grow Catmint｜Growing mints for your cat｜Catnip, Catenep｜How to grow #24 Catmint｜Eng Sub
FAQ
How long does it take to grow catmint from seed?
- Cold Winters. May– June.
- Mild Winters. March– May.
- Sun/Shade. Full sun.
- Sow Seeds. 1 inch apart. 1/4 inch deep.
- Days To Germinate. 10 – 15 days.
- Mature Height. 12 – 18 inches.
Is catmint easy to grow?
-
Drought-tolerant:Catmint doesn’t need a lot of water, especially once it’s established, making it a good choice for low-maintenance gardens.
-
Pest and disease resistant:Catmint is generally resistant to pests and diseases, which means you’ll likely have fewer problems with your plant.
-
Easy to divide:If you want to expand your catmint collection, it’s easy to divide established plants.
-
Attracts pollinators:Catmint’s fragrant foliage and long-lasting blooms attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, adding to the beauty and biodiversity of your garden.
-
Versatile:Catmint can be used in various garden settings, from mixed borders to pathway edging and even in containers.
Is catnip hard to grow from seed?
Catnip seeds are tough and need to be stratified, which means they need to be slightly damaged before they will sprout.
Does catmint come back every year?
-
Perennial Nature:Catmint (Nepeta) is classified as a perennial, meaning it lives for more than two years and will return year after year.
-
Winter Dormancy:In the fall, the plant’s foliage will dry up and die back, but the roots remain dormant over the winter.
-
Spring Regrowth:In the spring, the plant will sprout new growth from its roots, restarting its growing cycle.
-
Long-Lived:Catmint is a long-lived perennial, meaning it can thrive for many years with proper care.
-
Maintenance:While catmint is generally low-maintenance, some varieties may benefit from being trimmed back after blooming to encourage more flowers or to keep the plant tidy.
How do you grow a catmint plant?
Plant your catmint in full sun to get the best flowering. However, the plants will also grow well in partial shade. Humus-rich, well-draining soil is ideal. Many species grow easily in a wide range of soil types, including dry clay and sandy or rocky soil. Catmint is not fussy about soil pH, growing well in a wide range (5.0 to 8.0).
Can you grow catmint from seed?
To grow catmint from seed, make sure it’s from a non-hybrid variety (many of the newer varieties of Nepeta are sterile hybrids that produce no viable seeds) or purchase the seed from a reputable seed company. Start the seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last spring frost in seed flats or small pots filled with potting soil mix.
When is the best time to plant catmint?
The best time to plant catmint is in the spring. Note that even though it’s an herb, it does require a lot of space between each plant. So be prepared for that. Start by using a planting kit (seed starter). You can also use a 3” pot with potting mix. Sow seeds indoors over the winter for spring planting. Plant 2-3 seeds per compartment and water.
Can catmint be grown organic?
If you want organic catmint, you can get organic seeds, use organic soil, etc. Most hardware stores or nurseries sell the seed packets. Or you can order them online. The best time to plant catmint is in the spring. Note that even though it’s an herb, it does require a lot of space between each plant. So be prepared for that.
How far apart should catmint seeds be planted?
pH: Grows best in neutral to slightly alkaline soil, around pH 6.6-7.5. Spacing: Space catmint plants 12-24 inches apart depending on variety size. Catmint seeds are very small, so proper planting technique is important for good germination. Follow these tips when sowing catmint seeds either indoors or out:
How long do catmint seeds take to germinate?
Seeds should germinate in around 10-20 days at a soil temperature of 21-27°C. Transplant seedlings to the garden once they have their first true leaves and are large enough to handle (usually 5-10cm tall). Plant out, spacing plants 60cm apart. Optional: In cool climates catmint seeds can be sown indoors 6 weeks before the last expected frost.