Calamintha nepeta var. nepeta
Lesser Calamint
Item #: 3501
Zones: 5a to 8a, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 20" tall
Origin: Southern Europe
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Calamintha nepeta is an all around fun perennial for the sun garden. It forms a see-thru, bushy mound of stems, clothed in tiny, light green, deer-resistant, fragrant foliage, reeking of peppermint. Starting in June and continuing into October, Calamintha nepeta is smothered in clouds of tiny, very light blue flowers, which are in turn, covered with feeding bees. Calamintha nepeta needs good drainage and plenty of air circulation to thrive. Calamintha nepeta is used in cooking as well as to brew a flavorful tea. Medicinally, it is used to treat a variety of ailments including indigestion, stress, depression, insomnia, fevers, and to treat menstrual issues. Rock gardeners and herb lovers alike will fall in love with this gem. In 2021, Calamintha nepeta was named the Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association...quite an honor!
Maintenance:
About the only maintenance you'll need to consider is a cutback if your clump of Calamintha nepeta becomes a bit bedraggled during the growing season. If so, it can be cut to the ground, after which it will quickly resprout. Occasionally, it can pop up from seed, but we've never found this to be a problems, since seedlings are usually few and far between, and always welcomed.
Growing Conditions:
Full sun, and excellent drainage are the two keys to success. Since it is native to rocky slopes, poorly drained soils are not a good idea if you'd like to keep your plant around.
Natural Impacts:
Native bees are particularly enamoured with Calamintha nepeta... despite it being a European native. Sorry to break your bubble if you believe all those sites that say that native pollinators prefer native plants.
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Other Attributes
Genus: Calamintha
Flower Color: Blue
Leaf Color: Green
Bloom Time: Fall , Spring , Summer
Container Role: Fillers
Garden Themes: Cottage Garden Plants , Green Roofs , Living Wall , Rock Garden Plants
Other: Fragrant Foliage Plants , Butterfly Attracting Plants , Edimentals , Deer Resistant Plants , Drought Tolerant Plants , Hummingbird Plants , Pollinator Plants , Perennial Plant of the Year , Plants that Attract Birds , Rabbit Resistant Plants