types of catmint

Overview of Catmint Varieties

The world of catmint includes a diverse selection of species and cultivars, all cousins in the Nepeta genus. They tend to share common features: mounded shapes, soft grey-green leaves, and abundant spires of lavender-blue or purple flowers. But when comparing types of catmint, you’ll notice differences in size, growth habit, bloom time, and even leaf aroma. Some are tall and graceful for the back of a bed, while others create tidy, compact clumps well suited to edging pathways.

Popular Types of Catmint

Nepeta 'Blue Wonder' (Catmint)

A well-loved dwarf variety, Nepeta 'Blue Wonder' (Catmint) is prized for its intense blue flowers and compact, neat mounds. It’s a fantastic choice for edging, containers, or smaller gardens where space is at a premium. The dense flower spikes add reliable colour from spring through late summer and attract bees and butterflies.

Nepeta 'Walkers Low' (Catmint)

Nepeta 'Walkers Low' (Catmint) stands out for its airy growth habit and prolific flowering. This catmint produces long, arching sprays of soft purple-blue blooms over silver-toned foliage. One of the longer-flowering types of catmint, 'Walkers Low' can reach up to 60cm high, making it ideal for garden borders or as a frothy accent in perennial beds.

Nepeta mussinii (Catmint)

Nepeta mussinii (Catmint) offers compact growth and a more traditional, bushy catmint form. Its fragrant blue-violet flowers and aromatic, crinkled leaves are great for attracting pollinators and deterring garden pests. This classic type is often used for edging or in mixed perennial plantings.

Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' (Catmint)

If you’re after dramatic height and abundance, Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' (Catmint) is a standout. This vigorous variety grows up to 90cm tall with a broad, spreading habit. It blankets the garden in soft blue-purple flower spikes for months on end and is perfect for large borders or as a backdrop to shorter plants.

Nepeta faassenii

A reliable favourite among types of catmint, Nepeta faassenii delivers mounds of aromatic foliage and endless whorls of blue-lavender flowers. It’s drought-tolerant, easy to grow, and renowned for its extended bloom period, making it an exceptional low-maintenance choice for New Zealand gardens.

Choosing the Right Catmint for Your Garden

When selecting among the types of catmint, consider your garden’s size, design style, and desired effect. For borders and large areas, taller varieties such as Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' (Catmint) or Nepeta 'Walkers Low' (Catmint) provide beautiful drifts of colour and attract beneficial insects. For compact spaces or container planting, Nepeta 'Blue Wonder' (Catmint) and Nepeta mussinii (Catmint) are practical, showy choices.

No matter which you choose, all types of catmint bring reliable beauty, resilience, and pollinator-attracting power to the garden—a true asset for every New Zealand gardener.