Calamintha Nepeta Calamint
Calamintha Nepeta Creates a Cloud of White Summer Flowers
Calamintha nepeta, commonly called calamint or lesser calamint, is a long-blooming perennial loved for its airy cloud of tiny white to pale lavender flowers. From summer into fall, the plant produces a soft, misty bloom effect that blends beautifully with bold perennials, ornamental grasses, herbs, and sunny border plants.
This is the kind of perennial that makes a garden look full, natural, and alive without feeling heavy. The individual flowers are small, but their abundance gives the whole plant a delicate, sparkling look. It is especially effective near paths, patios, pollinator gardens, and cottage-style borders where its fine texture can be appreciated up close.
A Pollinator Magnet with Minty Aromatic Foliage
Calamintha nepeta is one of the best low-maintenance perennials for attracting bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects. Its long bloom window makes it especially useful because it keeps feeding pollinators through the heat of summer and into the fall, when many earlier perennials have already finished blooming.
The foliage is small, green to gray-green, and pleasantly aromatic when brushed or crushed. Because it belongs to the mint family, it has the fragrance and pollinator appeal gardeners expect from mint relatives, but it behaves much more politely than aggressive spreading mints.
A Tidy, Low-Growing Perennial for Walkways and Borders
Calamintha nepeta forms a low, bushy mound that is commonly listed around 12 to 18 inches tall and about 18 to 24 inches wide. Its compact, rounded habit makes it a strong choice for walkway edging, front-of-border plantings, herb gardens, rock gardens, low-maintenance beds, and sunny foundation edges.
Use it as a soft filler between stronger plants, such as coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, sedums, salvias, ornamental grasses, lavender, and yarrow. It is especially good at tying a planting together because its fine flowers and foliage soften the transition between larger leaves, stronger flower colors, and more architectural plants.
Full Sun, Good Drainage, and Drought Tolerance Once Established
Calamintha nepeta grows best in full sun and well-drained soil. It can tolerate light shade, especially in hot climates, but too much shade may reduce flowering and cause the plant to become looser. It adapts well to average, sandy, rocky, or lean soils as long as drainage is good.
Once established, calamint is drought-tolerant and well-suited to lower-water gardens, sunny slopes, rock gardens, and hot border edges. During the first growing season, water regularly to help roots establish. After that, occasional deep watering during extended dry spells is usually enough.
Deer Resistant, Rabbit Resistant, and Easy to Keep Looking Fresh
Calamintha nepeta is generally considered deer-resistant and rabbit-resistant, thanks in part to its aromatic foliage. No plant is completely deer-proof, but calamint is a practical choice for sunny gardens where browsing pressure is a concern.
This perennial is also easy to maintain. Shear lightly after the first heavy bloom to encourage a fresh flush of growth and flowers, or leave it alone for a softer, natural look. It may self-seed in favorable conditions, but it is not typically considered an aggressive running mint.
2021 Perennial Plant of the Year
Calamintha Nepeta Creates a Cloud of White Summer Flowers
Calamintha nepeta, commonly called calamint or lesser calamint, is a long-blooming perennial loved for its airy cloud of tiny white to pale lavender flowers. From summer into fall, the plant produces a soft, misty bloom effect that blends beautifully with bold perennials, ornamental grasses, herbs, and sunny border plants.
This is the kind of perennial that makes a garden look full, natural, and alive without feeling heavy. The individual flowers are small, but their abundance gives the whole plant a delicate, sparkling look. It is especially effective near paths, patios, pollinator gardens, and cottage-style borders where its fine texture can be appreciated up close.
A Pollinator Magnet with Minty Aromatic Foliage
Calamintha nepeta is one of the best low-maintenance perennials for attracting bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects. Its long bloom window makes it especially useful because it keeps feeding pollinators through the heat of summer and into the fall, when many earlier perennials have already finished blooming.
The foliage is small, green to gray-green, and pleasantly aromatic when brushed or crushed. Because it belongs to the mint family, it has the fragrance and pollinator appeal gardeners expect from mint relatives, but it behaves much more politely than aggressive spreading mints.
A Tidy, Low-Growing Perennial for Walkways and Borders
Calamintha nepeta forms a low, bushy mound that is commonly listed around 12 to 18 inches tall and about 18 to 24 inches wide. Its compact, rounded habit makes it a strong choice for walkway edging, front-of-border plantings, herb gardens, rock gardens, low-maintenance beds, and sunny foundation edges.
Use it as a soft filler between stronger plants, such as coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, sedums, salvias, ornamental grasses, lavender, and yarrow. It is especially good at tying a planting together because its fine flowers and foliage soften the transition between larger leaves, stronger flower colors, and more architectural plants.
Full Sun, Good Drainage, and Drought Tolerance Once Established
Calamintha nepeta grows best in full sun and well-drained soil. It can tolerate light shade, especially in hot climates, but too much shade may reduce flowering and cause the plant to become looser. It adapts well to average, sandy, rocky, or lean soils as long as drainage is good.
Once established, calamint is drought-tolerant and well-suited to lower-water gardens, sunny slopes, rock gardens, and hot border edges. During the first growing season, water regularly to help roots establish. After that, occasional deep watering during extended dry spells is usually enough.
Deer Resistant, Rabbit Resistant, and Easy to Keep Looking Fresh
Calamintha nepeta is generally considered deer-resistant and rabbit-resistant, thanks in part to its aromatic foliage. No plant is completely deer-proof, but calamint is a practical choice for sunny gardens where browsing pressure is a concern.
This perennial is also easy to maintain. Shear lightly after the first heavy bloom to encourage a fresh flush of growth and flowers, or leave it alone for a softer, natural look. It may self-seed in favorable conditions, but it is not typically considered an aggressive running mint.
2021 Perennial Plant of the Year
Description
Calamintha Nepeta Creates a Cloud of White Summer Flowers
Calamintha nepeta, commonly called calamint or lesser calamint, is a long-blooming perennial loved for its airy cloud of tiny white to pale lavender flowers. From summer into fall, the plant produces a soft, misty bloom effect that blends beautifully with bold perennials, ornamental grasses, herbs, and sunny border plants.
This is the kind of perennial that makes a garden look full, natural, and alive without feeling heavy. The individual flowers are small, but their abundance gives the whole plant a delicate, sparkling look. It is especially effective near paths, patios, pollinator gardens, and cottage-style borders where its fine texture can be appreciated up close.
A Pollinator Magnet with Minty Aromatic Foliage
Calamintha nepeta is one of the best low-maintenance perennials for attracting bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects. Its long bloom window makes it especially useful because it keeps feeding pollinators through the heat of summer and into the fall, when many earlier perennials have already finished blooming.
The foliage is small, green to gray-green, and pleasantly aromatic when brushed or crushed. Because it belongs to the mint family, it has the fragrance and pollinator appeal gardeners expect from mint relatives, but it behaves much more politely than aggressive spreading mints.
A Tidy, Low-Growing Perennial for Walkways and Borders
Calamintha nepeta forms a low, bushy mound that is commonly listed around 12 to 18 inches tall and about 18 to 24 inches wide. Its compact, rounded habit makes it a strong choice for walkway edging, front-of-border plantings, herb gardens, rock gardens, low-maintenance beds, and sunny foundation edges.
Use it as a soft filler between stronger plants, such as coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, sedums, salvias, ornamental grasses, lavender, and yarrow. It is especially good at tying a planting together because its fine flowers and foliage soften the transition between larger leaves, stronger flower colors, and more architectural plants.
Full Sun, Good Drainage, and Drought Tolerance Once Established
Calamintha nepeta grows best in full sun and well-drained soil. It can tolerate light shade, especially in hot climates, but too much shade may reduce flowering and cause the plant to become looser. It adapts well to average, sandy, rocky, or lean soils as long as drainage is good.
Once established, calamint is drought-tolerant and well-suited to lower-water gardens, sunny slopes, rock gardens, and hot border edges. During the first growing season, water regularly to help roots establish. After that, occasional deep watering during extended dry spells is usually enough.
Deer Resistant, Rabbit Resistant, and Easy to Keep Looking Fresh
Calamintha nepeta is generally considered deer-resistant and rabbit-resistant, thanks in part to its aromatic foliage. No plant is completely deer-proof, but calamint is a practical choice for sunny gardens where browsing pressure is a concern.
This perennial is also easy to maintain. Shear lightly after the first heavy bloom to encourage a fresh flush of growth and flowers, or leave it alone for a softer, natural look. It may self-seed in favorable conditions, but it is not typically considered an aggressive running mint.
