Nepeta faassenii Cats Pajamas - Catnip

Nepeta faassenii Cat's Pajamas is a recent compact and rounded, floriferous selection, covered with indigo blue flowers from late spring to early autumn. The greyish-green foliage is fragrant. It is robust and hardy and will enhance sunny borders and rockeries in well-drained to dry soil. It will also look beautiful in a pot, providing colour on the terrace or balcony for a very long time.

Nepeta 'Cat's Pajamas' belongs to the Lamiaceae family, a large group of many aromatic and ornamental plants: thymes, sages, rosemary, mints, oregano... This variety is similar to 'Cat's Meow', and stands out for its compact and dense habit: the plant forms a spreading ball that will reach 30 to 35 cm (12 to 14in) high and 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20in) in diameter. Between May and October, the clump is covered with small, violet-blue, indigo flowers, darker than most nepetas and often earlier. They are very attractive to pollinators. The foliage is triangular, slightly toothed, dark green with greyish reflections, aromatic when crushed. Many cats love the scent of nepetas (which gives it its other name of catmint), to the point of rolling in the clump!

Nepeta 'Cat's Pajamas' will thrive in well-drained, slightly alkaline, moist to dry soil, in a sunny position. A very hot and dry summer may slow down flowering for a few weeks, but the plant is very robust. In partial shade, it will be less dense and floriferous. Soil which is too rich will result in a loose clump with a shorter lifespan. This nepeta will work well in a pot, in dry borders, or in a rockery, alongside basket of gold, lady's mantle, Phlomis lychnitis, Mexican fleabane, or sea holly 'Tiny Jackpot'.