Catnip Plant Seeds - Non-GMO - A Perennial Member of The Mint Family That is Best Known for Being Attractive to Cats. - Country Creek LLC

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) was first discovered in Europe but has since spread to the rest of the world, taken around by intrepid explorers. A strongly aromatic member of the mint family, catnip has multiple uses: in homeopathic medicine, as a very powerful bee attractant, as insect repellent, and it is also of course globally renowned for being attractive to cats. It can be identified by the dozens of small white flowers with small purple spots covering its flowering, spiky top. Winter conditions have very little relevance to a tough, summer-flowering plant like catnip. In the winter, it is dormant and can easily survive very cold weather, high winds, frost, and snow. Catnip can also be taken as an infusion, or tea. Catnip seeds are tough and need to be stratified or slightly damaged before they will sprout. This can be done by first placing the seeds in the freezer overnight and then placing the seeds in a bowl of water for 24 hours. This process will damage the seed coat and will make it much easier for the catnip seeds to sprout. After you have stratified the seeds, you can plant them indoors or outdoors. Thin them to one plant per 20 inches (51 cm.) after they sprout. Catnip herb grows best in well draining soil in the full sun, but it will tolerate part sun and a wide variety of soil types.