Catmint Neptune Nepeta Neptune = 'Bokratune'

👤 Non-toxic to humans

🐾 Non-toxic to pets

🌸 Blooming

🍪 Not edible

‍🌱 Easy-care

ABOUT

The Nepeta Neptune, commonly known as Catmint, presents a delightful display of bluish-purple flowers that add a splash of cool color throughout its blooming season. Its flowering spikes are dense and numerous, creating a soft and full appearance. The leaves of the Catmint are small, with a delicate texture and are typically a soft gray-green hue. They are slightly heart-shaped at the base and come to a point at the tip, with softly serrated edges that add to the plant's fine texture. These leaves release a pleasant fragrance when crushed, which is a characteristic trait of the Catmint. The overall form of the plant is rounded and bushy, often forming a mound of aromatic foliage. The flowers are tubular and arranged in whorls, and they possess a fine, airy quality making them highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The plant embodies a sense of lightness as its stems sway gently in the breeze, which adds movement and life to garden spaces where it grows.

Plant Info

Care

Common Problems

About this plant

Names
- Family
  Lamiaceae
- Synonyms
  Neptune Catmint
- Common names
  Nepeta Neptune = 'Bokratune'.
Toxicity
- To humans
  Catmint is generally recognized as safe for humans, and there is no widely acknowledged evidence to suggest that Nepeta Neptune ('Bokratune') is toxic when touched or ingested in normal quantities. However, consuming any plant in large amounts can potentially cause gastrointestinal discomfort, such as nausea or vomiting. Always exercise caution and consult a healthcare professional if you suspect poisoning or have health concerns after ingesting any plant material.
- To pets
  For most pets, including dogs, catmint, including the Nepeta Neptune ('Bokratune') variety, is not toxic. It is commonly known for its attractiveness to cats and is often used in their toys; it can cause a temporary behavioral change in cats, such as increased playfulness or relaxation, but this is not harmful. However, ingestion of large quantities could potentially cause mild gastrointestinal upset, such as vomiting or diarrhea, in some pets. Keep an eye on your pet's reaction and consult with a veterinarian if abnormal signs are observed after ingestion.
Characteristics
- Life cycle
  Perennials
- Foliage type
  Deciduous
- Color of leaves
  Green
- Flower color
  Blue
- Height
  2 feet (0.61 meters)
- Spread
  2 feet 6 inches (0.76 meters)
- Plant type
  Herb
- Hardiness zones
  4
- Native area
  Mediterranean

Benefits

General Benefits
- Attracts pollinators: Nepeta Neptune, commonly known as catmint, is excellent for attracting bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects to the garden.
- Drought tolerance: Once established, catmint is quite resilient to drought, making it ideal for water-wise gardens.
- Deer and rabbit resistance: The plant is generally resistant to deer and rabbit browsing, which can help in maintaining a healthy, undisturbed garden.
- Low maintenance: Catmint requires minimal care, making it a great plant for both novice and experienced gardeners.
- Long blooming period: Catmint has a lengthy flowering season, providing a display of color from early summer to fall.
- Aromatic foliage: The leaves of catmint release a pleasant fragrance when brushed or touched, adding a sensory dimension to the garden.
- Easy to propagate: Catmint can be easily propagated from cuttings or division, allowing gardeners to expand their plantings without additional cost.
- Soil adaptability: It is adaptable to a wide range of soil types, though it prefers well-drained soil.
- Landscape versatility: Catmint can be used in various garden settings, including borders, rock gardens, and as ground cover.
- Ornamental appeal: With its gray-green foliage and lavender-blue flowers, catmint provides aesthetic value to any garden.
Medical Properties
This plant is not used for medical purposes.
Air-purifying Qualities
This plant is not specifically known for air purifying qualities.
Other Uses
- Artistic Inspirations: Neptune Catmint can serve as a muse for artists, being featured in paintings, drawings, or photography due to its eye-catching flower spikes and color.
- Natural Fabric Dyes: The plant's leaves and flowers may be used to create natural fabric dyes, providing hues that range from soft greens to lavender tones.
- Culinary Decor: Fresh or dried flowers can be utilized as decorative garnishes on salads or desserts, adding a touch of color and subtle flavor to dishes.
- Garden Borders: Neptune Catmint's mounding habit and attractive colors make it an ideal choice for creating aesthetic borders along garden pathways or beds.
- Enhancing Handmade Paper: Dried bits of flowers and leaves can be incorporated into homemade paper to create an attractive texture and natural appearance.
- Biodegradable Confetti: Dried Neptune Catmint flowers could be used as a biodegradable confetti alternative at celebrations to minimize environmental impact.
- Educational Tool: Schools or nature programs might use Neptune Catmint to teach children about plant growth, pollination, and the importance of supporting native bee populations.
- Natural Insect Deterrent: While not as widely recognized for this, the aromatic oils found in Neptune Catmint could help repel certain insects when planted around outdoor living spaces.
- Companion Planting: Neptune Catmint can be used in vegetable gardens to attract pollinators, thereby possibly increasing the yield of crops such as tomatoes and peppers.
- Floral Arrangements: Both fresh and dried Neptune Catmint stems can be incorporated into floral arrangements for their fragrance and to add a dimensional texture contrast.

Interesting Facts

Feng Shui
The plant Catmint is not used in Feng Shui practice.
Zodiac Sign Compitability
The plant Catmint is not used in astrology practice.
Plant Symbolism
- Serenity: The Nepeta Neptune, commonly known as Catmint, often symbolizes serenity due to its calming effects on cats as well as its ability to induce relaxation when used in herbal remedies for humans.
- Friendship: Catmint can represent friendship, as it is known for its pleasant fragrance and ability to attract cats, which are often seen as companions and friends to humans.
- Playfulness: Because of its intoxicating effect on felines, which often results in playful behavior, Catmint can be associated with playfulness and joy.
- Healing: As an herb that has been used in traditional medicine, Catmint can symbolize healing and the relief of ailments, particularly those related to stress and digestion.

💧

Every 1-2 weeks

Water

☀️

2500 - 10000 Lux

Light

💦️

Humidity

🪴

Every 2-3 years

Repotting

🌱️

Spring to Summer

Propogation

✂️️

As needed

Pruning

Water
The common name for Nepeta Neptune = 'Bokratune' is Catmint. Catmint prefers consistent moisture, but it is important not to overwater as it is drought tolerant once established. Water the Catmint deeply once a week with about one to two gallons of water, ensuring you soak the soil thoroughly. During particularly hot or dry periods, you may need to water more frequently to maintain moist soil. Always check the soil moisture level before watering to avoid waterlogging; the soil should be dry an inch below the surface before you water again.
Light
Catmint thrives in full sun to part shade conditions. It performs best when it receives at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. A spot in your garden that offers morning sunlight and some afternoon shade would be ideal, as intense heat in the afternoon may stress the plant. If grown indoors, a south or west-facing window would provide the ample light this plant needs to flourish.
Temperature
Catmint can endure quite a range of temperatures, but it grows best in temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It can survive minimum temperatures down to around -20 degrees Fahrenheit and can handle maximum temperatures up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. For robust growth, avoid placing it in areas where temperatures drop significantly below freezing or soar to extreme highs for prolonged periods.
Pruning
Pruning Catmint is necessary to maintain a tidy growth habit and to encourage a second flush of flowers. Prune the plant back by about one-third after the initial flowering period in late spring or early summer. This will stimulate new growth and result in a rounder and more compact plant. Additionally, deadheading spent flowers throughout the growing season can promote more blooms. The best time for a major pruning is early spring before new growth starts.
Cleaning
As needed
Soil
For Catmint 'Neptune' (Nepeta Neptune), a well-draining soil mix is ideal, composed of garden soil, compost, and coarse sand or perlite to improve drainage. The optimal pH range for this plant is between 6.0 and 7.5, slightly acidic to neutral.
Repotting
Catmint 'Neptune' should be repotted every two to three years to refresh the soil and accommodate root growth. Early spring before new growth starts is the best time for repotting.
Humidity & Misting
Catmint 'Neptune' prefers average humidity levels and does not require special humidity considerations, making it easy to grow in most climates without additional humidification.
Suitable locations
- Indoor
  Place in a sunny spot, water moderately.
- Outdoor
  Plant in full sun, well-drained soil; drought-tolerant.
- Hardiness zone
  4-9 USDA
Life cycle
The Nepeta Neptune, also known as Catmint 'Neptune', begins its life cycle as a seed, usually sown in early spring after the risk of frost has passed, or started indoors before the last frost date. Upon germination, the seedling emerges and starts to develop its root system and foliage, growing into a young plant with characteristic fragrant, green leaves. During late spring to early summer, the plant enters the vegetative stage, where it focuses on leaf and stem growth, becoming bushier and preparing for blooming. By mid-summer, Catmint 'Neptune' reaches the flowering stage, producing spikes of lavender-blue flowers that attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. As the season progresses into late summer and autumn, the plant may experience a second bloom if spent flowers are deadheaded. After flowering, the plant begins to go dormant as winter approaches, with the foliage dying back and the plant surviving the cold season as a hardy perennial, ready to regrow the following spring.
Propogation
- Propogation time
  Spring to Summer
- Propogation: Nepeta Neptune, commonly known as Catmint 'Neptune', is typically propagated through stem cuttings. The ideal time to take cuttings for propagation is late spring to early summer when the plant is actively growing. To propagate, gardeners should select a healthy stem, cut a piece approximately 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) in length, and remove the lower leaves. The cut end can then be dipped in rooting hormone powder to encourage root development and planted in well-draining soil. The cutting should be kept moist, but not waterlogged, and placed in a warm location with indirect sunlight until roots have developed and new growth is visible.