Catmint 50 grams: dried Nepeta cataria with a minty scent
Nepeta cataria is a hardy perennial in the mint family, the same family as peppermint and sage. You can read that off its square stem, and you smell it the moment the bag is open. Growing wild, the plant reaches anywhere from 30 centimetres to about a metre, carrying heart-shaped to triangular leaves with coarse teeth, two to nine centimetres long, their fine hairs giving them a greyish-white cast that is strongest underneath. Spikes of small off-white to pink flowers, dotted with purple-pink, appear at the tips in summer. The species is native to southern and eastern Europe, the northern Middle East and Central Asia, and has naturalised across northern Europe, North America and New Zealand. Its botanical name is said to come from the Italian town of Nepete.
What you get is cut, dried material from above the ground: leaf and thin pieces of stem in greyish-green shades. The smell comes first, herby and distinctly minty. Behind it sits nepetalactone, a volatile compound found in the leaves and stems whose structure is often compared in the literature to the sedative constituent of valerian root. Besides catnip and catmint you will see this herb sold as catnep, catrup, catswort and field balm.
Why people keep it in the house
The cat is the best-known reason. Roughly two thirds of adult cats are reported to respond to nepetalactone: they sniff at it, roll in it and play with it, while the rest walk straight past. A small amount in a linen pouch or inside a toy is the usual way to offer it. The herb also has a long tradition as an infusion. Pour hot water over about a teaspoon of cut herb, cover the cup and let it steep for some ten minutes before straining. Covering matters, because otherwise part of the volatile oil leaves with the steam. The taste is usually described as minty with a bitter undertone. Use the herb in moderation.
Storage and things worth knowing
Keep the bag cool, dry and dark, ideally well sealed inside a jar. That keeps the aroma at strength, which is the whole point with this herb. An open bag in a kitchen cupboard tends to be found by the cat sooner than you would expect, so store it out of reach, and away from children as well. This herb is sold as a botanical product, not as a medicine, and how you use it remains your own responsibility. If you take medication, are pregnant or are breastfeeding, talk to your doctor first.
Avalon Magic Plants also stocks Nepeta cataria seeds for anyone who would rather grow the plant themselves. The same relaxing herbs category holds valerian root, Wild Lettuce, Klip Dagga, Skullcap and Sweet Woodruff. Every order leaves our warehouse discreetly packed.
