Catmint Seeds
Houseplants are growing in popularity. Research has found
(me asking around) that it’s millennials setting the new trend of rekindling
the 1970’s popularity for spider plants, cheese plants and aspidistras. The
common aspidistra has been a favourite of hallways since the Victorian era as
they are shade, draft and neglect tolerant but since the 1980’s over 100 new
varieties have emerged to tempt the new homeowners.
The range of indoor plants also caters for our feline
friends. Not all cats manage to get outside where they can avail of the
delights of ingesting grass, which is said to improve their digestion. Cats
also seem to have a huge attraction to certain mint plants too and will happily
sit in/on them all summer. For this
reason I’ve decided to grow some plants in pots especially for cats that live
in the house and don’t get out much.
Plants for Cats
Catnip is the best known plant for a cats pleasure, many a
toy has been stuffed with the dried leaves which in turn sends the cat into a
frenzy. It affects cats in various ways, from a soft nuzzle to a fully blown
euphoric meltdown. Only about 80% of
cats are effected but they might be partial to some other type of plant that
contains Nepetalactone, an organic
compound that is the active ingredient. Nepetalactone also repels cockroaches
and mosquitos so it’s a win win for you and the cat.
Here are the most popular types of plants to get kitty in a
tizzy. I have just received the Catnip, Cat’s Grass, Catmint and Catmint Lemon
and will be sowing the seeds now to give them an early start for spring. I’ll
be testing them out of my mother in laws usually sedate moggie to see if it
works. I’ll keep you posted.
Catnip (Nepata
cataria) is a perennial. Cat's find it hard resist the intoxicating scent of
this plant. The leaves have a mint-like smell. Catnip can be grown in pots or the garden. Like
most herbs in the mint family, catnip can easily spread and take over outside
if allowed to. Responsive cats enjoy a psychosexual reaction that lasts up to
15 minutes, after which cats lose interest in the herb for at least an hour. The
stems are as easy to dry as any other mint, and dried catnip retains is
psychoactive powers for many months when stored in a cool, dry, dark place. Catnip
flowers attract pollinators and other beneficial insects in droves so maybe I
won’t let them flower in the house.
Cat grass -(Dactylis
glomerata) is more commonly known as orchard grass, and it is also attractive
to cats. It apparently helps to remove fur balls and maintain their good health
and great for the indoor cat. Cat Grass
is a good aid to help add missing vitamins and minerals so might be the favourite to grow indoors. Seeds
of wheat, oats and rye also can be grown as cat grass.
Catnip Lemon - (Nepata
cataria Citriodora) is a perennial, that is very similar to catnip but with a
more delicate hint of lemon aroma. Its natural habitat is on roadside banks but
will hopefully do well in a pot on a sunny table in the porch.
Catmint mussinii –
The last of my choice experiment plants. This Catmint produces attractive
grey-green foliage topped with spikes of lavender flowers. Cats may flatten the
plants so I’ll be careful with this one as it might have to be put outside.
Other Plants to
Delight Cats
Here are a few more plants which cats seem to enjoy in the
garden - not in pots. I would have loved to have known about these a few years
ago when I rescued a stray cat. I put it in the boot of my car and somehow it
found its way into the chassis through the side panel. I had to drive around
with it in the interior lining of the car for three days until it decided to
show its face and have some food. If I had these plants I could have lured it
out much sooner. It was non the worse for the ordeal and after a good meal it
disappeared into the wild again.
Valerian
(Valeriana officinalis) Cats become
excited when they encounter valerian roots, which contain a compound called
actinidine that is thought to work as a semi-psychotic stimulant for cats.
Cat thyme
(Teucrium marum) is not a thyme but a germander, a group of fragrant herbs that
grows best when given fertile soil, full sun, and great drainage. Cat thyme can
grow to two feet (60 cm) when protected from cats, which is nearly impossible.
Lemongrass
(Cymbopogon citratus) is surprisingly attractive to cats, plus you can use the
leaves in cooking.
