catnip
Nepeta cataria
---Flavor Profile and Uses
---Identification
---Harvesting Instructions
- Can be taken as a tincture, but when served as a tea, has a mild, pleasant, grassy flavor with minty and citrus undertones
- Terrific nervine, safe to use with children and adults
- Has a calming, sedative effect that promotes good sleep
- Has bitter properties, calming the stomach while also acting as a carminative, helping to dispel gas
- Promotes sweating, bringing down fevers without raising them first, and is commonly used with other herbs like boneset and yarrow (HYPERlink) to treat flu symptoms
- Good for treating diarrhea and is slightly astringent
- A stimulant for cats and often found in their toys and treats
---Identification
- Highly aromatic
- Bushy, growing 3 – 4’ tall with a square stem and heart-shaped, fuzzy, grey-green, toothed, alternating leaves
- By mid – late summer, catnip produces dense spikes composed of many small, individual flowers that are white with purple undertones
- Most often found in full to partial sun in well-drained, dry soils with good organic matter on the edges of fields, stream banks, or disturbed land
---Harvesting Instructions
- Harvest on a dry, sunny day when in full bloom in mid – late summer by cutting the whole plant, leaves and flowers, leaving 6 – 8” for regeneration
- Dry in bundles upside down in an area protected from the elements with good airflow
- When plants begin to crumble easily, remove foliage and flowers from stems and store in an airtight container (preferably with paper or desiccation packets added to absorb moisture and prevent molding over time)
Carpenter, Jeff, and Carpenter, Melanie. The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2015.