Cold hardiness

Future

2050

2100

These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.

Now

Zone 6b

USDA

Published baseline for this location from 1991-2020.

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer

Well-suited

2050

Zone 7a

Plotwright

Projected zone for this same location in 2050 (2041-2070) using SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry).

Well-suited

In plain terms: This location is in Zone 6b today. Its hardiness profile is cold winters, and coldest nights are typically around -3°F. By 2050, the projected hardiness zone is Zone 7a based on SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry). That is a +0.5-zone shift from Zone 6b to Zone 7a by 2050.

✓

Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.

Heat tolerance

Future

2050

2100

Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.

Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 40 ecoregions — 35 climate-resilient through 2070 · 5 suited today. Best matches first.

Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests

›

Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests

›

Arizona Mountains forests

›

Blue Mountains forests

›

Canadian Aspen forests and parklands

›

Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests

›

Central Tallgrass prairie

›

Central-Southern Cascades Forests

›

Colorado Rockies forests

›

Cross-Timbers savanna-woodland

›

What it needs

Conditions

Light

Full sun / Part shade

Water

Low water

Spacing

18"

Habit

Low, spreading mounded clump of aromatic foliage

Care tips

•

Shear the whole plant back by about a third after the first flush of bloom to trigger a strong rebloom and keep the mound tidy.

•

Give it full sun and lean, well-drained soil — it takes heat, drought, and poor sites once established, but soggy ground will rot the crown.

•

Divide established clumps in spring to make more plants; this sterile hybrid will not come true from seed.

Lifecycle

Planting

Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder). In northern areas site in full sun; in the deep South give it some light afternoon shade. Less drought tolerant than many other Nepetas, so it prefers cool, moist soils over bone-dry sites.

Transplanting

A clump-forming perennial — lift and divide established plants in spring as new growth begins to make more plants or rejuvenate an old clump.

Early growth

Water to establish through the first season. Plants may be cut back before first flowering to promote a more compact size (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Maturity

Mature plants form a spreading clump roughly 1-2 feet tall and 1.5-3 feet wide, flowering May to September. Shear the flower spikes after the initial flush to promote continued bloom (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Propagation

This hybrid is sterile and does not come true (or at all) from seed, so propagation is by division of the clump or by stem cuttings rather than seed.

Pollination

Self-fertile

Nepeta x faassenii is a sterile hybrid (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder), so it sets little or no viable seed — it is grown for foliage and flowers, not fruit, and is propagated vegetatively. The flowers are nonetheless a heavy nectar source: NC State Extension lists it as attracting "Bees, Pollinators" and tags it as a pollinator plant, and shearing after the first flush keeps fresh flowers (and pollinator visits) coming all season.

Plants don't grow alone

Nectar forage

Bee

European honeybee (Apis mellifera)

NC State Extension lists Nepeta x faassenii as attracting "Bees, Pollinators"; honey bees are among the most frequent visitors to its long succession of nectar-rich lavender-blue flowers.

Nectar forage

Bee

Common eastern bumblebee (Bombus impatiens)

The open, two-lipped flowers are readily worked by bumble bees; bumble-bee visitation follows from the bee attraction NC State Extension documents for this plant.

Nectar forage

Bird

Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

The tubular lavender-blue flowers are a plausible nectar source for ruby-throated hummingbirds, which visit many tubular mint-family flowers, though the published sources flag bees rather than hummingbirds specifically.

For people

Not eaten by humans

Grown as an ornamental and aromatic foliage plant rather than a food crop. The leaves are fragrant when crushed and, like true catnip (Nepeta cataria), are mildly attractive to cats, though somewhat less enticing (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder). Neither MBG nor NC State Extension documents culinary use or human toxicity for this hybrid.

Native range

AHS heat range

1-9

Climate notes

•

Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder lists Nepeta x faassenii as a herbaceous perennial for USDA zones 3 to 8, 1-2 ft tall and 1.5-3 ft wide, in full sun to part shade with dry-to-medium water and low maintenance. It is a sterile hybrid of horticultural origin (the Dutch nursery of J. H. Faassen) and is not native to North America.

•

NC State Extension publishes a warmer hardiness range of USDA zones 5a-9b for this hybrid and flags it as drought tolerant once established, with the scent deterring deer — consistent with the Missouri Botanical Garden tolerance of deer, dry soil, shallow-rocky soil, and urban conditions. The two sources disagree on the exact zone endpoints (MBG 3-8 vs. NC State 5-9b); the record uses the MBG primary figure.

•

Missouri Botanical Garden notes no serious insect or disease problems and that deer tend to avoid the plant; it is not as drought tolerant as many other Nepetas and prefers cool, moist soils.

In the designer

Growth over time

12-24" tall · 18-36" spread

Mature 1-2 ft tall clump spreading 1.5-3 ft, blooming May to September with shearing.

Design roles: Border · Pollinator · Filler

Catmint

At a glance

Related products

Why it matters

Cold hardiness

Heat tolerance

Where this plant fits

What it needs

Lifecycle

Pollination

Plants don't grow alone

For people

Native range

Climate notes

In the designer

Sources & citations