🌿 Catnip (Nepeta cataria) — Organic Seeds

Common Names: Catmint, Catwort

🌱 Seed Quality Promise

All seeds sold by Yahuah’s Farm are 100% organic, non-GMO, and never chemically treated or coated.
We do not sell pelleted, dyed, chemically enhanced, or synthetic-treated seeds.
What you plant should be as pure as the medicine it becomes.

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About Catnip

Catnip is a hardy, fast-growing perennial herb best known for its effect on cats, but it has also been treasured for centuries as a gentle medicinal and tea herb for humans. It produces soft gray-green leaves, small white flowers with purple markings, and a refreshing mint-like aroma.

This plant is incredibly easy to grow, drought tolerant once established, and a magnet for pollinators. It spreads readily, making it a wonderful addition to medicinal gardens, cottage gardens, and permaculture systems.

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Traditional & Herbal Uses

Catnip has been traditionally used as:

• A calming tea herb
• A gentle nervine
• A digestive soother
• A traditional cold-season herb
• A relaxing bedtime tea
• A comforting plant
• A gentle children’s herb
• A fragrant household herb

It has long been valued for its mild nature and pleasant taste.

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Plant Characteristics

Botanical Name: Nepeta cataria
Common Name: Catnip
Life Cycle: Perennial
Growth Habit: Upright, branching
Mature Height: 2–3 feet
Mature Width: 1–2 feet
Flower Color: White with purple spots
Bloom Time: Late spring through summer
Attracts: Bees, butterflies, beneficial insects

Catnip is both functional and beautiful, with a soft, wild look.

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Growing Catnip from Seed

Catnip is extremely easy to grow and thrives in a wide range of conditions.

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How to Germinate Catnip Seeds

Catnip seeds benefit from light cold stratification, but will still germinate without it.

Optional Cold Stratification

1. Place seeds in the refrigerator for 1–2 weeks before planting.

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Planting Steps

1. Surface sow or cover very lightly.

2. Press seeds gently into soil.

3. Keep soil moist.

4. Provide bright light.

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Germination Time

• 7–14 days
• Fast and reliable

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Ideal Growing Conditions

USDA Zones

Zones 3–9

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Sun

• Full sun preferred
• Tolerates partial shade

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Soil

• Well-draining
• Sandy or loamy
• Low to moderate fertility

Catnip thrives in poor soil.

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Water

• Moderate watering
• Drought tolerant once established

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Spacing

• Space plants 18–24 inches apart
• Spreads over time

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Growth Timeline

Weeks 1–2:
• Germination

Weeks 3–6:
• Leaf development

Weeks 7–9:
• Flowering begins

Ongoing:
• Repeated harvests

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Harvesting

Leaves

Harvest before flowering for best aroma.

Flowers

Harvest when fully open.

Frequent cutting encourages bushy growth.

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Seed Saving

1. Allow flowers to dry on the plant.

2. Collect seed heads.

3. Gently crumble and separate seeds.

4. Store cool, dark, and dry.

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Why Grow Catnip?

• Extremely easy to grow
• Long-lived perennial
• Pollinator friendly
• Drought tolerant
• Great ground cover
• Excellent tea herb
• Loved by cats
• Low maintenance
• Spreads easily