catnip

[Marty Maraschino]

I have read on other sites that people make herbal tea with catnip, well actuallly they called it catmint. Is that the same thing as catnip? If so does it have any of the intoxicating effects on humans that it does on cats? I wouldn't want to sip a nice cup of herbal tea and start rolling around on the floor.PRRRR! Surely not but it doesn't hurt to ask.

[Nemophila]

Catnip and catmint are actually two different plants (same family though), but confusingly enough catnip is sometimes referred to as catmint.
Catnip has been used as a tea for ages and although it does not have the same effect in humans as in cats, it is *supposed to have a very relaxing and calming effect sort of along the same lines as valerian.
*Note that I say "supposed to" only because it did nothing for me, but I seem to be in the minority on that point!

[Marty Maraschino]

Good! Glad to know I can enjoy it as well as my cat. It grows wild at the house I grew up in. My mother got permission from the new owners to go back over and get a few starts from the many irises she had there and while we were there a dug up a few catnip plants they didn't even know where there. I'm sure they would have just been mown down anyway. Like they say "one mans trash is another mans treasure."

[flowerpower]

Since I don't have cats (or want to attract them), I dug up all my catnip 3 years ago and gave it to a friend. Now I am finding seedlings in that area. I am just going to leave them this time.

[zebraman]

Hey Flowerpower;Cats are not attracted to Green plants,only dried.

[MichiganderGardener]

I planted catmint all along the edge of my flower bed's just because it smells good and also has beautiful blue flowers that are one of the first thing's to bloom for me in my zone 4 garden. They are actually starting to bloom right now and will continue to bloom even all through summer. They are also planted along the front border of my herb garden along with chives. Love it!

[Brook]

Although catnip does act as a nervine, it is no where near as calming as even chamomille. Certainly not in the same class as valarian---which is an actual sedative. Catnip works at about the same level as peppermint; which stands to reason as they're in the same family.

Catnip's primary medicinal use is to settle upset stomachs. The tea is often drunk as a digestive for that purpose. But where it really shines is to settle colicky babies.

[Pharmerphil]

Umm, Zman, our two outdoor cats roll on the plants and eat it green, and they do get CrAzY...maybe they jus junkies!

[bluelacedredhead]

There is another seed available to grow for felines. It's called Catgrass and there are several seed companies here in the Northeast that supply it.
It just looks like a broadleafed grass to me? Does anyone know what in fact it really is?

[Nemophila]

Lol, ditto PharmerPhil!
My cats (and my sister's, and neighbor's.....) have always gone absolutely looney over fresh, juicy green catnip!

bluelacedredhead,
the packets of catgrass seed that they sell around here are just your standard variety wheat grass. I do think it's a little odd that it was so hard to find out what in fact it was, though.

[bluelacedredhead]

Thanks Nemo. Google turned up mostly info on catnip. But you know what puters can be like..Sometimes you don't get the correct answer if you don't hold your mouth just so and ask in proper computereeez. ;-)

[TennOC]

I've found the cats that like catnip, (not all do) won't bother it much till it's about full-grown. Any time after that you'll see it mashed and chewed up.