Purple-Blue Catmint is a beautiful, summer-blooming perennial plant. Imagine a sunny garden on a warm summer day. Along the edge of a border grows a low, gently undulating plant with purple-blue flowers that seem to float above the gray-green foliage. This is Purple-Blue Catmint. At first glance, it appears modest, but its simplicity and long bloom make it an important feature in the garden. For beginner gardeners, it is a rewarding choice. It is a perennial plant, meaning it does not disappear after one season. Each year it returns, often fuller and stronger than the previous year. With a height of about 30 to 50 centimeters and a width of up to 60 centimeters, it forms a compact, bushy clump. This makes it ideal for the front of the border, where it creates a soft transition between the path and taller plants behind it. Throughout the growing season, this catmint shows its best side. It blooms long and abundantly, attracting bees and butterflies. For beginners, this is a bonus: the garden comes alive with little effort. There is also an easy trick to get even more from the plant. After the first bloom, it can be cut back. This may seem drastic, but the result is a fresh, compact plant that often produces a second bloom.
Purple-Blue Catmint can also be used in the kitchen to make a mild, aromatic tea from the dried leaves and flowers. The flavor of this tea is lightly minty and can help with relaxation. Fresh leaves can also be used to season various dishes. Add fresh leaves to salads, soups, sauces, desserts, and fruit salads for a subtle, light minty flavor. The edible flowers can be used as decoration on desserts, cakes, and in drinks. Purple-Blue Catmint also has several medicinal uses: calming effect for stress or insomnia, may help with anxiety and mild nervousness, aids digestion, supports mild respiratory issues like coughs or colds, and can be applied to soothe skin irritations using a leaf infusion. Generally, it is safe to use, though it is not recommended for pregnant women or people with underlying health conditions.
For more experienced gardeners, the strength of this plant lies in how it can be combined. Because it remains lower and more compact than many other species, it can be strategically used as a connecting layer in plantings. Its blue-purple color works as a calm base that enhances other colors. Purple-Blue Catmint pairs well with taller summer bloomers such as: Yellow Coneflower, Pink Coneflower, and Verbena. It also works well with plants in the same style, such as: Sage, Lavender, and Geranium Rozanne. Try combining it with ornamental grasses like Fescue and Blue Fescue. Regarding location, this plant is undemanding as long as it gets enough sun. Well-draining soil is important; it tolerates wet feet less well. Under the right conditions, it spreads slowly through its clump without becoming invasive. Occasionally it self-seeds lightly, but never enough to take over the garden. Purple-Blue Catmint is a quiet strength in the garden. For beginners, it is an easy, reliable plant that requires little care and gives a lot in return. For experienced gardeners, it is a versatile tool for adding structure, color, and cohesion to a border. This combination makes it a staple in both simple and carefully designed gardens.
Purple-Blue Catmint flowers from May till July, and after cutting back, again from August to October. It is highly attractive to bees, butterflies, bumblebees, hoverflies, and other beneficial insects. The following insects are particularly drawn to this plant: honeybee, wild bee, mason bee, bumblebees, cabbage white, red admiral, thistle butterfly, silver Y moth, hummingbird hawk-moth, and hoverflies. With Purple-Blue Catmint, you bring a plant into your garden that is not only beautiful but actively contributes to a lively, insect-friendly environment. Hardy perennial. Height: 30 - 50 cm. Width: 40 - 60 cm.
Indoor sowing: March - April
Outdoor sowing: May - July & September - October
Germination: 7 - 21 days
Germination temp. 18 - 22 °C
Sowing depth: shallow
Planting distance: 30 - 40 cm
Plant position: Full sun, warm and sheltered
Flowering period: May - October
Harvest period: May - July
Sow indoors from March to April in seed trays filled with moist seed compost. Scatter the seeds thinly over the surface and do not cover them with soil, as catmint requires light to germinate. Gently press the seeds onto the surface and keep the compost evenly moist. Cover the tray with a clear lid or plastic film to maintain humidity and place it in a warm location with a constant temperature of 18 - 22 °C. Avoid placing the tray on a sunny windowsill, as temperatures can fluctuate considerably. Seedlings usually emerge within 7 to 21 days. Remove the cover once germination has started and place the seedlings in a bright location.
When the seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant them into individual pots. From early May, begin hardening them off by placing them outdoors during the day for 10 - 14 days. After this acclimatisation period, the plants can be transplanted to their final position from mid-May, once all risk of frost has passed.
From May onwards, the seeds may also be sown directly outdoors. Sow thinly on the soil surface without covering the seeds, as they are light germinators. Press them gently into the soil and keep the seedbed evenly moist during germination. Outdoor sowing is also possible in September or October. During winter, the seeds undergo a natural cold period (stratification), which may improve germination the following spring. Once the seedlings are well established, thin them to a spacing of 30 - 40 cm.
Catmint grows best in a warm, sheltered position in full sun with well-drained soil. Once established, it is highly drought tolerant and only requires watering during prolonged dry periods. Poorly drained or waterlogged soil should be avoided. The plant forms broad, bushy clumps that gradually spread, so allow sufficient space between plants. Like many members of the mint family, catmint may outcompete weaker neighbouring plants.
After the first flowering period, from May to July, the faded flower stems can be cut back. Avoid cutting into the old woody stems. Pruning encourages compact growth and usually results in a second flowering period from August to October. Catmint is a hardy perennial that overwinters reliably in temperate climates. The leaves and young flowering shoots can be harvested from May to July and used fresh or dried for herbal tea, scented sachets or other herbal applications. For the best aroma, harvest on a dry, sunny day.
