Faassena Catnipis an easy-to-grow plant that repels mosquitoes and ticks, but also attracts bees. See whatcultivating Faassen catniplooks like in garden beds, containers and pots. Learn about interesting uses for catnip in the garden, the bestvarieties of catnipfor flower beds and learn about thereproduction of Faassen catnip , thanks to which you can efficiently increase the number of copies of this catnip. plants!
Faassen's catnip (Nepeta faassenii)
Faassen's catnip - description, application
Faassena catnip(Nepeta faassenii) is an inconspicuous perennial belonging to the Lamiaceae family. It creates dense clumps of highly branched shoots that reach a height of 30-45 cm. Catnip's stems and leaves are covered with a cutner layer which gives them a silvery gray tint.
Faassena catnip blooms from May to September , making it a wonderful long-flowering perennial - from spring to autumn . The flowers, gathered in spikes at the tops of the stems, can be purple, blue, pink or white in color. Their delicate scent attracts butterflies and bees and repels mosquitoes and flies. Catnip is also valued as a tick repellant plant (and there are few such plants). That is why it is worth planting it near the places of relaxation in the garden. The more that the aroma of catnip has a calming effect on humans: -)
The use of Faassen'scatnip in the garden is versatile. This plant looks great both in flower beds, as well as in containers and pots. It works great as a honey and ornamental plant.
Good to know
Catnip are plants loved by cats. Usually, when a cat senses catnip, it begins to roll in it, grab it with its paws, bite, lick it, purr loudly and meow. This unusual animal behavior lasts for several minutes. The reason is probably the nepetalactone contained in catnip, considered to be a cat pheromone.
It should be added, however, thatthe concentration of nepetalactones is highest in another species of catnip , namely in catnip (Nepeta cataria ). In Faassen's catnip, it is much less and the attractiveness to cats is negligible. Therefore, we do not have to worry that by planting Faassen's catnip, we will attract all the cats from the area. Usuallycats do not pay much attention to Faassen's catnip
Growing catnip in the garden
Faassen's catnip is an easy-to-grow garden perennialand requires little maintenance. It grows well in any soil, especially in sunny and dry places.It also tolerates partial shade, but the specimens growing in sunny locations bloom earlier and more profusely, and their habit is more compact. Faassen's catnip copes well with short-term drought. It has low nutritional requirements, it is enough to sprinkle the clump with compost once a year.
Faassen's blooming catnip
Toprolong the flowering of catnip , remove the blooming inflorescences by trimming the shoots about 10 centimeters above the ground. This treatment will cause a short break in flowering, but the plant will bloom more profusely again. If we do not want to take a break, we can remove the blooming shoots on an ongoing basis. However, it is more labor-intensive and the effects are weaker.
Before winterprune the Faassen catnipclose to the ground. Most of the catnip varieties available in Poland are frost-resistant, but it is worth protecting the plant against frost with straw, dry leaves or agrotextile.We can also leave the shoots for the winter, then the carp will not require additional protection. In this case, cut dry shoots in the early spring, before the vegetation starts.
Faassen's catnip - varieties
The varieties of Faassen's catnipdiffer in the height of the inflorescence shoots, the color of the flowers and the color of the leaves. Among the varieties available on the market, the most effective are:
Faassen's Catnip 'Six Hills Gigant'- This variety of Faassen's catnip is distinguished by exceptionally lush growth. Its shoots grow up to 60 cm in height. Its leaves have a characteristic yellow color of the edges, which persists throughout the summer. In autumn, the yellow discoloration disappears.
Catnip Faassena 'Snowflake'- variety with large snow-white flowers. Shoots grow up to 35 cm in height, giving off a characteristic smell when moved slightly. It blooms from May until October.
Faassena catnip 'Limelight'- a variety of Faassena catnip with low (15-25 cm) inflorescence shoots. A characteristic feature of this variety are bright yellow-green leaves that contrast beautifully with the blue flowers. It is a variety with creeping shoots, which looks great on slopes or in balcony boxes.
Catnip Faassena 'Purrsian Blue'- a variety with a strongly compact habit, so it can be grown in containers. Inflorescence shoots grow up to 30 cm in height. The leaves of this variety are notched and the flowers are purple. This variety can be grown in sunny as well as semi-shaded places.
Faassena catnip is a honey plant that attracts bees. Pests such as mosquitoes, flies and ticks avoid it!
Faassen's breeding catnip
SinceFaassen's catnip does not set seeds , we can only reproduce it by dividing carp or shoot cuttings.The division of carp is the fastest way to reproduce Faassen's catnipWe divide the carp from April to June. Adult specimens (about 3 years old) can be easily separated by hand into smaller tufts, which we plant directly on the permanent site. Water the planted plants abundantly.
Faassen catnip seedlings are collected in spring(March-April) or late summer (August-September). We take cuttings from shoots that have not yet formed flower buds. We plant the seedlings in boxes, in universal horticulture. Cover the boxes with foil and place them in a sunny place. Once the cuttings have taken root, we transplant them into separate containers. In the spring of the following year, the plants are ready for planting in the garden.
MSc Eng. Agnieszka Lach
