Catnip

(Nepeta cataria)

 

Color photograph: Copyright Nearctica.com, Inc.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

 

Catnip (Nepeta cataria)

Alien: Native of Europe.

Identification: Flowers white to pink-violet. Lower petal lobe large, oval, concave, spotted with purple. Upper petal lobe bilobed. Two lateral petal lobes narrow and rectangular. Flowers arranged in a terminal, tightly packed cluster. Stem square with a slight whitish bloom. Leaves heart-shaped, stalked, with toothed outer margins. Crushed leaves with distinctive catnip odor. Leaves whitish below. Plant 6 to 24 inches.

Distribution: Throughout North America.

Habitat: Catnip is a weed of disturbed habitats such as roadsides, fields, and empty lots.

Flowering period: June to September.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria)

Similar Species:

The flowers and their tight clustering near the top of the plant are distinctive. The heart-shaped leaves with toothed outer margins and smell are also tell-tale features of Catnip.

Similar Species

No Similar Species