Catnip: a description of the plant where it grows
Catnip, or catnip, resembles regular mint in appearance, but has a scent similar to lemon balm. This plant is adored by cats and is also used in food as a seasoning.
This perennial plant grows up to 60-100 cm in height. It can be grown in a garden. It is enough to plant a mint in a flower bed once, as it will appear in the same place every year. Propagated by seeds.
Catnip is a medicinal herb for cats
Description of the plant:
- Leaves are oval-oblong, sharp ends. If you rub a leaf, then you will feel a lemon scent, reminiscent of the scent of lemon balm.
- Mint blooms in June-July, the fruits are formed in early August. Inflorescences are large paniculate, flowers are small. Shade from snow white to purple. The length of the inflorescences is up to 8 cm in height and 1,5-2,5 cm in diameter. The fruits are 4 nuts, each containing up to 1000 seeds.
- Stems are branched, erect.
Catnip can be used for medicinal purposes. Stems, leaves, and flowers will do. You need to harvest raw materials during the flowering period. Mint contains essential oils, tannins and terpenes.
Cats love the smell of catnip and its bitter taste. They sniff the plant, sometimes they eat the leaves. Mint has an insecticidal and antihelminthic effect. In cats, the plant first stimulates the nervous system and then produces a calming effect.
You can also make teas for yourself from dry mint leaves. This drink will calm the nerves and normalize sleep. With tachycardia, mint tea should not be drunk.
Where do catnip bushes grow?
This plant can be found in the following places:
- thickets and shrubs;
- the woods;
- gardens;
- vacant lots;
- hills;
- along the roads.
Since the bushes are very tall, they are easy to spot. Mint is adapted to the climatic conditions of Russia, widespread in the steppe and forest-steppe zones, as well as in the Caucasus and Siberia. Catnip is grown as a medicinal plant in Western Europe and the USA. You can find mint in Asia, Africa and Japan.
The catnip prefers sunny areas. It is suitable for light, loose soil, free from weeds. Prefers moist soils, so it can grow along water bodies. Under unsatisfactory living conditions, the plant will not bloom.
If you decide to grow catnip in your garden, prepare a place with fertile soil for it. Collect catnip leaves during the flowering period, dry them, grind them, and use them as a healthy seasoning for meat and fish dishes.