Common Name: American Beauty Berry Botanical name: Callicara ...

Name: Mint – Cat
Catnip plants can attain a size of 3' x 3'. Their small lilac
flowers grow in clusters. The stems of these fragrant plants
have the squarish shape typical of the mint family, whether
herb or weed (creeping charlie, for instance). Catnip plants
enjoy sun and are drought-tolerant, making them good
candidates for sunny, dry areas where many other flowers
would struggle.
Catnip plants can be grown in planting zones 3-9.
Grow catnip plants in full sun to partial shade. Like so many
herbs, this perennial thrives in poor soil that is well-drained.
Catnip plants like a slightly alkaline soil.
Unless you can tolerate damage, protect catnip plants from cats by, e.g., fencing it off. Pinch them often
while they're growing, to obtain dense, well-shaped plants. Harvest upon flowering, on a dry, sunny day.
Late morning is a good time to harvest -- after the dew has dried but before the day heats up. Cut off the
whole plant at the base and hang it upside down as soon as possible in a dark, dry, well-ventilated place
(e.g., an attic) to minimize loss of volatile oil.
The many blue flowers each plant produces grows to a height of 12 to 15 inches. Each plant should be
spaced 18 inches apart. Recommend you put the plant in well drained soil. It is a perfect plant to place in
those dry areas you always forget to water.
The catmint blooms in June and July. It’s recommended as ground cover for planting below shrubs. Or it
also works as a sunny blue border plant. It is an aromatic plant.
You can remove spent flowers to produce a second bloom. Trim unwanted growth to keep it looking well
groomed. The flowers of the catmint tend to be a lavender color. The leaves are gray-green.
Source: http://landscaping.about.com/od/herbplants/p/catmint_plants.htm
http://www.youcanlearnseries.com/Landscape/Plants/Catmint.aspx
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