Nepeta cataria Citriodora - Chataire citron

9x9cm

€4,90

Nepeta cataria Citriodora - Chataire citron

€4,90

Organic

Sustainable

Locally grown

🪴Standard: 9x9 cm pot

🚂 Ships across EU

🌱 Grown without pesticides or UV lamps

Flower Color: White

Preferred Soil Type: Fertile, Well-drained

Sunlight: Partial shade

Hardiness Zone: Zone 7: -17°C

Growth Habit: Upright

Origine: Eastern and Southern Europe

Nepeta cataria ‘Citriodora’, also known as lemon catnip or catmint, is similar to the species type except that its aromatic foliage gives off a lemony scent when crushed.

The flowers are small but showy, abundant, two-lipped, trumpet-shaped, and lavender-colored.

The leaves give off a scent of mint, buckwheat, and wool (I think?), which can drive some cats completely crazy

This sturdy little perennial for dry soils and full sun forms clumps of green foliage and branched spikes of white-pink to mauve flowers in summer. Perfectly hardy and easy to grow, it is ideal for rock gardens and natural-looking borders, as well as for sunny planters.

Nepeta cataria and its Citriodora form essential plants for dry gardens. Catnip grows beautifully in flowering pots. It looks superb in rock gardens or on low walls. It looks great with yellow Phlomis, Ballota, or Agastache or Salmon shrubby salvias.

👨‍🌾 Continuous blooming is encouraged by removing spent flowers.
✂️ Make sure your soil is well draining, because while catnip can handle derought and frost - it cannot handle soggy roots!
☁️ It is extremely drought-tolerant but prefers a bit of afternoon shade in the hot southern climates.

The ‘Citriodora’ form is a herbaceous perennial, 10 to 30 centimeters in every direction, with a long flowering season from June to September. Its grey-green flowering stems occasionally reach 1 m in height.

The small flowers are white or pinkish lilac, spotted with red on the middle lobe of the lower lip. The inflorescences are compound clusters, fairly short, spread from the top to the bottom of each stem.

The leaves are whole and hairy, with an ovate, heart-shaped (inverted) outline and scalloped edges. The plant is perennial thanks to stems that are partly spreading and buried at the base, bearing adventitious roots and dormant buds that give rise to new stems the following spring.

Catnip has remarkable effects on cats. Its tissues contain a molecule called nepetalactone, a terpene that is thought to trigger the release of sexual pheromones in the brains of our feline friends.

Catnip is native to the temperate zones of Europe and Asia, but it has become so widespread in many countries that it is sometimes considered a weed. A cousin of mint, thyme and sage, among others, it also contains essential oils used in herbal medicine.

Why is it called catnip?

The nepetalactone contained in some species of the genus Nepeta binds to the olfactory receptors of cats, usually causing temporary euphoria that makes them roll and shudder with pure joy.

Other Names:

Catnip