Product Description
Nepeta 'Cat's Pajamas' PP31127 CPBRAF (25) Bare Root Plants
Common Name: Catmint
A purr-fect Catmint for fans of 'Cat's Meow' who love the look but want a smaller scale version. In addition to being a little over half the height, 'Cats Pajamas' also blooms about 2-3 weeks earlier than 'Cat's Meow'. The ball-shaped habit carries long, dark flower stems that hold indigo blue flowers. Unlike older varieties that only produce flowers at the top of the stems, this improved Catmint has blooms from the soil to the tips of the stems. Even when the flowers are past peak, the color of the rosy purple calyxes give your garden an additional splash of color. As an added bonus, the small, aromatic leaves keep deer and rabbits away. Try this shorter stature plant in city gardens or near the front of the border.
When Nepeta's stems are broken, they release an aroma into the air that tends to attract cats, thus its common name, Catmint.
Nepetas are easy to grow perennials that provide a beautiful show of color all summer long. They prefer to be planted in full sun and ordinary, well-drained soil. Shearing the plant back in the springtime will promote more compact growth. In addition, cutting plants back by half after their first bloom tends to stimulate a second bloom cycle.
2021 Proven Winners National Perennial of the Year®
Penn State Trials Top Performer -- 2020
Height: 12.0-14.0 Inches
Spread: 18.0-20.0 Inches
Hardiness Zones: 3,4,5,6,7,8
Flower Color: Blue shades
Foliage Color: Green shades
Sunlight: Full Sun (> 6 hrs. Direct Sun)
Low to Average Water Needs
Poor to Average Soil Quality
Bloomtime: Early Summer to Early Fall
Long Blooming
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Hummingbirds
Bee Friendly
Deer Resistant
Rabbit Resistant
Growth Rate: Medium
Border Plant, Cut Flower, Cut Foliage, Drought Tolerant, Easy To Grow, Edging, Fragrant Flowers, Fragrant Foliage, Mass Planting
Nepeta 'Cat's Pajamas' is a compact, floriferous variety of catmint that was named the 2021 Perennial Plant of the Year. This herbaceous perennial boasts fragrant foliage and vibrant lavender-blue flowers that grace the garden from early summer to late summer. It is renowned for its extended blooming season and its allure to pollinators. Notably, the Missouri Botanical Garden played a significant role in the development of this captivating plant.
Characteristics This catmint cultivar typically reaches a height of 12-14 inches and spreads 18-20 inches wide. It forms a pleasing mounded shape and distinguishes itself by producing flowers along the entire length of its stems, a unique feature not found in other catmint varieties. The blossoms, a striking indigo blue, emerge in early summer and continue to delight the eye until late summer. Even as the flowers begin to fade, the rosy purple calyxes that hold them extend the visual interest, adding another layer of color to the garden. And as an added bonus, after the main flowering period, the stems themselves take on this rosy purple hue, providing yet another captivating display.
The foliage of 'Cat's Pajamas' is a refreshing green and releases a delightful fragrance when touched. This aroma is not simply a generic minty scent; it offers a more complex blend with hints of both mint and lemon, adding to the sensory experience of this plant.
Benefits Nepeta 'Cat's Pajamas' offers a multitude of benefits for gardeners:
- Extended Blooming Season: This catmint variety boasts an exceptionally long blooming season, stretching from early summer to late summer. This is further enhanced by its early bloom time compared to other catmints, ensuring an even longer period of vibrant color in the garden.
- Pollinator Magnet: The alluring indigo-blue flowers are irresistible to pollinators, drawing in bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, contributing to a thriving garden ecosystem.
- Resilience and Hardiness: 'Cat's Pajamas' is known for its resilience. It thrives in hot, sunny conditions and exhibits excellent drought tolerance. Once established, it requires minimal watering, making it a perfect choice for low-water gardens or areas prone to dry spells.
- Urban Adaptability: This catmint variety even tolerates air pollution, making it a suitable choice for urban gardens and challenging environments.
- Low Maintenance: 'Cat's Pajamas' is a remarkably low-maintenance plant. Its hardiness, drought tolerance, and resistance to deer and rabbits minimize the need for constant care and attention.
Growing Conditions Nepeta 'Cat's Pajamas' thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. While adaptable to various soil types, including poor soils, it is crucial to ensure good drainage to prevent root problems. Interestingly, this catmint actually prefers less fertile soil and does not benefit from compost or rich soil amendments, unlike many other garden plants. This makes it an excellent choice for areas with less-than-ideal soil conditions.
This plant is hardy in USDA zones 3 through 8. When planting, select a location that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. Space plants 18 to 20 inches apart to allow for their mature size. Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. Place the plant in the hole, ensuring the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil. Backfill the hole with soil and water thoroughly.
To maintain a compact growth habit, it is recommended to shear the plant back in the spring. For taller plants, providing some support may be necessary to prevent them from flopping over. It's also worth noting that this variety is sterile and won't self-seed, allowing for better control over its spread in the garden.
Uses Nepeta 'Cat's Pajamas' is a versatile plant with a wide range of applications in the garden:
- Border Planting: Its compact size and long blooming season make it ideal for creating vibrant borders along garden beds, walkways, or patios. Consider pairing it with other sun-loving perennials like yarrow (Achillea) or coneflowers (Echinacea) for a stunning display.
- Container Gardening: This catmint thrives in containers, where its mounded form and colorful blooms can be displayed on balconies, terraces, or as accent pieces at entryways.
- Cut Flower Gardens: The fragrant, indigo-blue flowers are perfect for adding to bouquets and bringing the beauty of the garden indoors.
- Edging: Its compact growth habit makes it an excellent choice for edging along paths, garden beds, or driveways.
- Landscape Accent: 'Cat's Pajamas' can serve as a vibrant accent when planted in small groups or as a focal point in garden designs.
- Mass Planting: For a dramatic effect, consider mass planting 'Cat's Pajamas'. This creates a sea of blue that is visually stunning and highly attractive to pollinators.
- Pollinator Gardens: Incorporating 'Cat's Pajamas' into pollinator gardens supports local ecosystems by providing a valuable food source for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
- Xeriscaping: Due to its drought tolerance, 'Cat's Pajamas' is an excellent choice for xeriscaping projects, adding beauty and color to water-wise gardens.
- Vegetable Garden Borders: Planting 'Cat's Pajamas' as a border around vegetable gardens can attract beneficial pollinators, potentially boosting yields and enhancing the overall health of the vegetable plants.
Images Nepeta 'Cat's Pajamas' is a visually appealing plant. It forms a dense, compact mound of foliage, covered in vibrant indigo-blue flowers. The long, dark flower stems hold the blooms from the base to the tip, creating a full and colorful display. The plant's overall shape is neatly rounded, resembling a blue bowling ball in the landscape.
Nepeta 'Cat's Pajamas' is a truly remarkable plant that deserves a place in any garden. Its unique characteristics, such as blooming along the entire stem and thriving in poor soil conditions, set it apart from other catmint varieties. Its long blooming season, combined with its early bloom time, ensures an extended period of vibrant color in the garden. The plant's hardiness, drought tolerance, and resistance to pests make it a low-maintenance choice for busy gardeners. Whether used in borders, containers, mass plantings, or even as a beneficial addition to vegetable gardens, 'Cat's Pajamas' adds beauty, fragrance, and ecological value to any landscape.
While this catmint offers numerous benefits, it is worth noting that its aromatic foliage can be attractive to cats, who may enjoy nibbling on it or rolling around in the plant. This may be a minor drawback for some gardeners, but the plant's overall value and ease of care outweigh this minor consideration for most. With its captivating beauty, low-maintenance nature, and ability to attract pollinators, Nepeta 'Cat's Pajamas' is a true gem for any garden, regardless of style or size.
Other Details
The most important part of the plant is its root system. Healthy roots are the foundation of a healthy, vibrant plant. The type of plug container used is based on the specific needs of the plants. Perennials offered as bare root traditionally perform better when planted as bare root.Planted in a specialized mix, potted plants have well established root systems. Top growth stage will vary depending on the current life cycle and time of year when shipped. In Winter and early Spring dormant plants may be shipped. Dormant plants may be planted right away, even before the last frost date.
Most bare root varieties are field grown for at least one season, though Hemerocallis and Hosta are grown for two seasons. The bulk of the soil is removed during the harvesting process and the tops of most varieties are trimmed back to the crown. They are graded, packed in shredded aspen or sphagnum moss and stored in freezers until ready to be shipped.
See our Container Sizes and Bare Root Perennials pages for more information.
Plant information and care is provided in the Overview section, Plant Genus Page and general information is provided in the Planting Care & Guides. Additional questions can be asked on each Plant page.
Plant Spacing: Using the maximum mature spread or width of a plant to guide spacing, ensures space to grow to full size. To fill an area sooner, plant them closer together. Just remember, future thinning or transplanting may be needed.
Water: Keep a close eye on newly planted perennials, especially throughout the first growing year. Most early plant loss is due to too much or too little water!
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Some story different plant
The Nepeta was the first plant I was looking for to line my driveway, saw it on line but know one had it , I find you out of the dozen or so nursery I look at. I talk to a specialist name Mike, he told all about the Nepeta and pick out the Campanula to line my driveway with them, purple and white. WE HAVE 100% SURVIVAL I will send picture when the Nepeta Blooms.
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Second order and still Loving them
This is the second order of nepeta I have received. The first 25 I planted in May and they look gorgeous. This 25 I have planted for my daughter to line a walkway. This plant puts on a great show of color and is a rebloomer. You will not be disappointed with this plant.
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Love this plant
I ordered the 25 bare root cats PJ nepeta. I planted all 25 and have a 100% survival rate. They are growing so well. I planted them within one day of receiving them. I made sure to follow all planting directions and I look forward to a great show of color. Mine boarder a rose garden. I have a gardening friend who is green with envy and wants to order some too. I will be placing an order for September delivery because I cannot find this plant anywhere in my area for purchase. Thank you to bloomindesign for offering this plant.