No, catmint same as catnip is a mix-up that trips people up all the time. They're related but not the same plant. Catnip is one type within the larger catmint family. The plants look different, grow in different ways, and serve different roles in your garden.
I grow both types side by side in my yard and the catmint vs catnip gap is clear at first glance. My Walker's Low catmint forms a dense, tidy mound covered in blue-purple flower spikes from June through September. The true catnip next to it grows tall and messy with thin white flowers that don't do much for the view. Cats mob the catnip plant but show only mild interest in the garden catmint. If you want a pretty border plant, catmint wins every time. If you want to thrill your cat, pick catnip.
The Nepeta cataria catmint difference starts with how we name these plants. Catnip goes by Nepeta cataria. It's just one out of about 250 types in the Nepeta family. When you see "catmint" at a garden center, they almost always mean a hybrid type bred for pretty flowers and neat growth. These hybrids came from crossing different wild types to get the best traits from each parent plant.
The Old Farmer's Almanac sums it up in a way that's easy to recall. All catnips are catmints, but not all catmints are catnip. It's like saying all squares are shapes but not all shapes are squares. Catnip sits inside the catmint family as just one member among many. The garden hybrids share the same family tree but were made for a very different job: looking good in your flower beds.
The active compound in both plants is the same, but the levels are very different. True catnip holds three to four times more of the scent oil than garden catmint. That's why cats go crazy for catnip but barely look at hybrid catmint. The lower dose in garden types is a plus for you. Your plants are less likely to get rolled flat by every cat in the area.
When I moved my catnip from the front yard to the back fence, the cat traffic near my front beds dropped to almost nothing. My garden catmint kept blooming in peace after that. This simple swap showed me how different the two plants really are in terms of feline appeal. Same family, very different results with the local cat crowd.
Pick garden catmint hybrids like Walker's Low or Cat's Meow for your flower borders. They bloom for months and stay compact without much work. Grow true catnip if you want to bring cats to your yard or dry the leaves for herbal tea. Many gardeners do both. Put catmint along the walkways for beauty and tuck a catnip patch in the back for your furry friends to enjoy.
Read the full article: Catmint Plant Care and Growing Guide
