Nepitella

Nepitella (Clinopodium nepeta, Family Lamiaceae) (calamint) is a beautiful ornamental plant with tiny tubular pale lavender to white flowers covering the herb like confetti from mid-summer to frost. Nepitella grows into a dense low mound about 18 inches tall and wide. The leaves are minty lemon scented. This Mediterranean herb is native to Italy, France, Spain, Algeria, and Morocco and has been naturalized in other areas, including parts of the United States.

Multitudes of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators visit Nepitella’s profuse floral displays. Nepitella is tolerant of drought, deer resistant, and generally low maintenance. Heat and humidity, however, may cause powdery mildew. The ideal habitat is well-drained sandy or rocky soil in full sun.

Nepitella excels in the landscape within cottage gardens, along borders, in rock gardens, as a ground cover, beside beehives, and in containers. It looks lovely sprawling over a retaining wall as seen in the photograph of an annual display at the Missouri Botanical Garden. As a soft textured neutral, Nepitella complements many bolder plants such as black and blue salvia, rose, lavender, and coneflower. 

The small leaves look like marjoram and taste like mint, oregano, and basil combined. The leaves traditionally are paired with mushrooms, artichokes, or zucchini. If pregnant or trying to conceive, it is advised to avoid large amounts.

Like most other mints, Nepitella spreads by rooting where stem nodes touch the ground, rhizomes, and self-seeding. Nepitella is a short-lived perennial lasting 3-4 years. A well-defined boundary may prevent more spreading than desired. Nepitella is found at The St. Louis Herb Society’s annual herb sale.

A Missouri native relative is Clinopodium arkansanum.

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