Kitten Around Catmint

Kitten Around Catmint

Kitten Around Catmint is a compact perennial that forms a tight, rounded mound of small, aromatic leaves. Introduced by Walters Gardens as an even smaller follow-up to Purrsian Blue Catmint, it reaches about 12–14 inches tall and 20–22 inches wide. The pointed, toothed leaves are a soft bluish green and stay dense right down to the ground, so the mound looks full from the front without needing lower plants to hide its base.

From early summer into early fall, short spikes of periwinkle blue flowers held in rosy purple calyxes rise just above the foliage. Cutting plants back after the first flush brings on another round of bloom. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds visit the flowers. When stems are brushed or broken they release a scent that draws cats, which gives catmint its name, while deer and rabbits tend to leave it alone. It suits edging, small spaces, containers and short cut-flower arrangements.

Kitten Around Catmint flowers best in full sun and accepts some afternoon shade. It grows in poor to average soil, from clay to sand and across a wide pH range, as long as water drains away. Once established it is drought tolerant, which suits hot, dry beds along paths and driveways. NC State Extension lists this selection as having excellent resistance to phytophthora, a soilborne disease that can rot the roots of many perennials.

Care Instructions:

Planting: Plant in spring or early fall in a sunny spot, setting the crown just below the soil surface.
Soil: Grows in poor to average, well-drained soil; avoid low spots where water stands after rain or through winter.
Watering: Water thoroughly after planting and regularly through the first season; once established, water only during extended dry spells.
Fertilizing: A light feeder; a single spring application of slow-release perennial fertilizer is enough, and rich feeding can make the mound loose.
Pruning: Shear the plant back in spring to keep growth compact, and cut stems back by half after the first bloom to bring on a second flush.
Spacing: Space plants approximately 16–20 inches apart; the mounds will meet and form a continuous low edge of foliage and flowers.
Maintenance: Clear away old stems in early spring before new growth starts, taking care not to damage the crown, and divide clumps if they become crowded.

Gardeners choose Kitten Around Catmint for months of soft blue color on a plant small enough for the front of a border or a patio pot. It needs little water or care once settled, holds up to deer and rabbits, and gives bees and butterflies a long nectar season. It performs best in sunny, well-drained sites where larger catmints would spill over walks and crowd their neighbors.

Landscape Solutions:

• Its small, tight mound edges walkways and patios without sprawling onto the pavement the way larger catmints can.
• Deer and rabbit resistance makes it a dependable choice for flower beds where browsing animals damage other perennials.
• Drought tolerance once established keeps it blooming in hot, dry beds that are hard to water regularly.
• Compact size makes it a good filler in mixed containers, where its blue flowers set off taller plants.
• Flowers from early summer into fall provide a long nectar season for bees and butterflies.