perennial flower
Walker's Low catmint
Walker's Low catmint is a perennial flower noted for drought-tolerant catmint and long bloom period. It grows in USDA zones 3a-8a and prefers full sun, loam and sandy soils, and low water. Its main garden feature is lavender flowers from late spring to fall. It is mainly used for pollinator and wildlife plantings and curb-appeal plantings.
Fit and caveats
Walker's Low catmint is a perennial worth considering when its bloom season, foliage, and maintenance needs fit the bed. The ZIP match is the starting point; final success depends on light, drainage, spacing, and how the plant behaves in your region.
Best fit
- Zones 3a through 8a with full sun and well-drained loam or sandy soil.
- Mixed perennial borders where bloom time and foliage texture have a defined role.
- Gardeners who can divide, cut back, or thin plants as clumps mature.
Use caution
- Perennials are not maintenance-free; many need division, deadheading, staking, or seasonal cleanup.
- Crowding increases mildew, leaf spot, and weak flowering.
- Some attractive cultivars are short-lived unless drainage and winter crown conditions are right.
Regional notes
- In humid ZIPs, prioritize spacing and air movement.
- In hot, dry ZIPs, establish roots before expecting low-water performance.
- Use mulch lightly around crowns and avoid burying perennial growth points.
Comparison note: Compared with a one-season bedding plant, Walker's Low catmint is useful when it earns its space through bloom timing, pollinator value, foliage, or repeated garden performance. Compare it with plants that cover a different part of the season.
Photos
Photos show a representative plant in the garden. Fruit color, size, and growth habit can vary by cultivar, season, nursery stock, and site.
Photo sources: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Garden use
Walker's Low is an award-winning ornamental catmint (a former Perennial Plant of the Year) with a haze of blue flowers over aromatic gray-green foliage, beloved by bees and easy to grow.
When to pick
- Fresh
- Cut stems in bloom for the vase; shear after the first flush for repeat bloom.
- Preserve
- Dry leaves for a mild tea or for cats.
- Ferment
- Not typically used in ferments.
Ways to use the harvest
Pollinator and ornamental plant
The main use; clouds of blue flowers bloom for months and attract bees and butterflies.
Cut flowers
Airy blue spikes for the vase.
Fresh in arrangements.
Cats
Mildly attractive to cats, though less potent than true catnip.
Mild herbal tea
The leaves make a gentle, minty tea.
Edging and borders
A tough, drought-tolerant, long-blooming perennial.
Drying
Dry leaves for a mild tea or cat toys.
Shearing
Cut back after bloom to encourage rebloom.
Mild tea
A gentle, minty infusion from the leaves.
Note
catmint is grown mainly as an ornamental, not a culinary herb.
Fermentation
Catmint is grown ornamentally and is not used as a ferment.
- Estimated sugar
- Its leaves can lightly flavor a herbal tea.Use a refractometer or hydrometer if sugar level matters for wine, mead, or other fermentation planning.
- Acidity
- True catnip, a related species, is the one most prized by cats.
Nutrition
Catmint is grown ornamentally; its leaves are used only for a mild tea, contributing aromatic oils.
Food safety
Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii) is a safe, non-culinary ornamental whose leaves make only a mild tea. It is related to but distinct from true catnip (Nepeta cataria), the species most attractive to cats.
Spacing, yield, and timing
How far apart should you plant Walker's Low catmint?
Plant Walker's Low catmint at 1-3 ft apart. Adjust this starting point for trellises, hedges, rootstock, containers, pruning style, or local extension guidance.
How much does Walker's Low catmint produce?
Walker's Low catmint output is modeled as 3-8 weeks of bloom/display/year. Treat that as a planning range, because weather, soil, watering, pruning, pests, and local pressure can change the real result.
How long does Walker's Low catmint take to produce?
Walker's Low catmint usually reaches first useful harvest or display in 1-2 yrs under suitable conditions.
How do you grow Walker's Low catmint?
Grow Walker's Low catmint in USDA zones 3a-8a with full light, loam, sandy soil, and low water. Use 1-3 ft apart for layout planning. Match the plant to drainage, heat, chill, and pest pressure before scaling up.
Can Walker's Low catmint grow in a container?
Walker's Low catmint can start with a container of about 2+ gal (good). Larger containers usually buffer heat and moisture swings better than the minimum.
- Full output
- 2-3 yrs
- Planting depth
- Set the crown at the same level it grew in the nursery pot.
- Productive life
- 3-10 yrs
- Difficulty
- 2/5
- Reliability
- 4/5
- Data quality
- Medium profile, No pound-yield source
Yield varies most with climate, soil, rootstock, pruning, pest pressure, and wildlife.
Planting, care, and risk checks
Checklist
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Right-size container with drainage
Containers / Before plantingUse a container large enough for mature roots, with open drainage holes to prevent root rot.
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Expanding container potting mix
Containers / Before plantingUse a lighter container medium instead of dense garden soil in pots and grow bags.
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Organic mulch
Soil / After plantingHold soil moisture, suppress weeds, moderate soil temperature, and protect shallow roots.
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Hand trowel
Tools / Planting dayPlant starts, herbs, flowers, bulbs, and smaller container plants at the right depth.
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Finished compost
Soil / Bed prepImprove bed structure and organic matter before planting annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees.
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Watering wand or can
Watering / Planting dayWater new transplants gently without washing soil away from the crown or roots.
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Rabbit or deer protection
Protection / After plantingGuard young edible, native, and ornamental plants until they can tolerate browsing.
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Bypass pruners
Maintenance / First seasonMake clean cuts for harvesting, deadheading, shaping, and light pruning.
Planting strategy
- Planting depth: Set the crown at the same level it grew in the nursery pot.
- Container minimum: 2+ gal (good). Use 2+ gal per plant, or wider mixed containers with similar water needs.
- Start with one plant when testing fit in a new bed or container.
Risk factors
- Deer pressure: Rarely damaged. Use as a deer browsing cue, not a guarantee; heavy deer pressure can override resistance ratings.
- Black walnut: Mixed or uncertain. Use as a black walnut / juglone planning cue; tolerance varies by cultivar, soil, and distance from the tree.
- Match the site first: full light, loam, sandy soil, and low water.
- Use 1-3 ft apart as the first spacing model; adjust for hedges, trellises, containers, or local guidance.
- Plan around mature size: 1-4 ft H x 1-3 ft W.
- Plan pollination or companion context before planting; nearby varieties can matter for fruit set.
- Local drainage, pests, chill hours, wildlife pressure, and microclimates can change the result.
Comparable plants
Sources and methodology
This guide combines hardiness range, light, soil, water, harvest timing, traits, supplier links, plant relationships, and quantitative planning metrics. Pairings are screened for practical garden fit.
Quantitative values use extension and botanical-reference ranges where available. For less-studied cultivars, similar crops fill gaps conservatively. Ranges are intentionally broad so the profile stays useful without pretending to be exact.
Planning sources: NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxMissouri Botanical Garden Plant FinderK-State Extension Master Gardener Handbook - Herbaceous PlantsUniversity of Maryland Extension - Types of Containers for Growing VegetablesIllinois Extension - Growing Vegetables in Containers
Editorial sources: NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxMissouri Botanical Garden: Plant FinderUniversity of Minnesota Extension: Yard and Garden
Use & preservation sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder (Nepeta)USDA PLANTS Database
Supplier search: Amazon. Search links are not paid placements unless explicitly marked; affiliate listings may earn a commission. Last reviewed: 2026-05-31.