Fancy Grade Catnip Leaf and Flower | Nepeta Catataria

Description

USDA Certified Organic, Fancy Grade, Catnip Leaf and Flower (Nepeta Catataria)

Aroma: Strong.
Color: Light green.
Composition: Leaf and flower with very few stems.

History

Catnipt ( Nepeta catataria ) is said to have been named after the Etrurian city of Neptic (Nepi in the province of Viterbo). Because the Egyptians were so fond of cats, many believe they were the first to discover the effect catnip has on them.

The Romans, as well as many other people, used catnip in food recipes and in herbal medicines. Catnip was introduced to America around the 18th century by settlers who used it for food and possibly medicinal purposes. Native Americans may have started using catnip in their medicines and recipes.

Catnip is also a known tea-brewing herb and is used in smudging.

YOUR CATS WILL LOVE THIS!

Botanical Name: Nepeta Cataria
Plant Family: Lamiaceae
Also Called: Catswort, nep and Catmint.

Identification

Catnip is an upright perennial with strong stems that are covered with very fine hairs and have a minty aroma. The identifying, oblong, heart-shaped leaves with finely-scalloped edges are silvery/gray with white hairs that are thicker on the bottom. Catnip’s tubular white or pale lavender flowers (arranged in dense whorls on spikes) are hermaphrodite and pollinated by bees. The flowers are known to attract bees and butterflies and bloom from mid-summer to early fall.

Composition

The essential oil of flowering catnip contains nepetalactones 4aα, 7α, 7aα-nepetalactone; 3,4β-dihydro-4aα, 7α, 7aα-nepetalactone; 4aα, 7α, 7aβ-nepetalactone and β-caryophyllene, dimethyl-3,7 oxa-1 bicyclo [3,3,0] oct-2-ene, piperitone, thymol methyl ether, hexenyl benzoate and humulene oxide.

Habitat

Catnip is a hardy plant that prefers full or partial sun, moist to dry conditions, and soil with a higher than average pH that is loamy, rocky, or gravelly.

Catnip was introduced into North America from Eurasia and is typically found growing wild in, limestone barrens on bluffs, open woodlands, meadows, pastures, areas along fence rows, gravelly areas along railroads, and natural areas with limestone soil.

Cautions

Catnip is considered “generally safe” for healthy adults when not overconsumed.

Catnip may have interactions with pregnancy, nursing, or medications. People prone to allergies may have allergic reactions to catnip. Catnip may exacerbate existing medical conditions.