Catnip

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Catnip leaf

Catnip flowers

Catnip inflorescence

Catnip

Catnip leaves

Morphology

Stem

Erect or ascending, 1 to several, branched, 4-sided, grooved, whitish-pubescent above, purplish below.

Leaves

Opposite, simple, stalked, triangular to ovate, 1 to 4 inches long, .75 to 2.75 inches wide, green and lightly pubescent above, gray-hairy to nearly woolly below; margins toothed; tips pointed or blunt.

Inflorescence

Spike-like, .5 to 3.5 inches long, .5 to 1.5 inch wide, many-flowered.

Flower

Calyces 2-lipped, lobes narrowly triangular, tips tapering to points, hairy; corollas 2-lipped, up to .5 inch long, white with purple or reddish spots, outside pubescent; lower lip 3-lobed, bearded at base inside; stamens 4, 2 long, 2 short.

Fruit

Nutlets, egg-shaped, smooth, slightly flattened, reddish brown, 1-seeded.

Ecology

Habitat

Sunny or shaded disturbed sites, old farmsteads, waste areas, and thickets.

Distribution

Throughout except southwest corner of Kansas.

Practical Information

Forage Value

Deer sometimes consume catnip.

Uses

Early Europeans made a medicinal tea from catnip and used it to treat convulsions, nervousness, and coughs. Native Americans used it to treat colds, coughs, headaches, fevers, and infant colic.

Additional Notes