Catnip, or Nepeta cataria, to give it its scientific name, is well known for one thing: cats get high on it.
How to grow it
Catnip is a perennial herb, which is a member of the mint family. The perennial part means that it will grow back each year if the winter is not too severe. Start off by buying a packet of catnip seeds from your local garden centre and sow them outdoors in the early spring in a sunny spot. Make sure you get “ordinary” catnip, rather than one of the ornamental varieties as these just won’t get your pussy high. Once they germinate, thin the plants out to leave at least a foot between them, as these plants are fairly bushy and can grow to around 3 feet tall. You may prefer to grow it in pots on the patio, which is what I do, as it’s invasive. It’s an attractive plant, with light green, scalloped leaves and bluish flowers in mid-summer. It’s also fairly robust – until the cats discover it…
What it does to cats
Dried catnip is often used to stuff cat toys, and anyone who owns a cat will probably know the hilarious response that they have to this stuff. The active ingredient is nepetalactone, which appears to be a feline euphoric / aphrodisiac. It’s the actual smell than triggers a response, not ingestion. You can also buy catnip essential oil as a spray, and I treat my cats to a regular squirt on their scratching post to keep them off the furniture. This sends them into total ecstasy, and they start rubbing their heads against the post as though their lives depended on it. Then they revert to some “kitten-type” boisterous play, before stretching out on the floor with glazed eyes and a slight drool to sleep it off. Allegedly some cats do not respond to catnip, but I personally have never known one.
Other uses
Catnip has a few human uses, culinary, medicinal and agricultural. It can be used sparingly in salads, and can be drunk as a tea. In fact, Catnip tea was the tea of choice before Chinese tea became available.
Taken as a tea, Catnip is said to be good for coughs, colds, catarrh, and to promote sleep. Pregnant women should not use it – unless possibly in childbirth - as it stimulates the uterus. It can be used as a bath herb for stress, colic and teething; as a compress or poultice for pain, sprains, bruises and insect bites or as a salve for haemorrhoids. I have not personally tried the last one.
It’s use as a “natural” insecticide is also being investigated.
How to harvest and store it
Most commercially produced catnip is simply the whole plant ground up, but if you want “the good stuff” for kitty, then it’s worth knowing that nepetalactone is concentrated in the leaves. Dry the cut plant by hanging it upside down in a bag, then crumble the leaves and store in an airtight jar or plastic bag – “resealable” freezer bags are great. Then your feline friend can have a little lift all through the winter :-)
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