How to Propagate Catmint

Catmint is one of my favorite perennials. Its hardy, mounding growth makes it a solid choice for filling in areas under taller plants—or just for ground cover in general. And its small flowers are highly attractive to beneficial pollinators. It’s part of the genus Nepeta, and its leaves have a slight minty fragrance because Nepeta is part of the mint family (Lamiaceae).

Catnip is also in the mint family and the Nepeta genus, but catmint and catnip are different plants. However, catmint can mildly affect kitties, so that’s why it has “cat” in the name. I know my cat loves laying in my catmint plants and napping when I’m outside working in the yard! And it’s an easy plant to propagate. Let’s walk through the process.

Supplies used

• Healthy catmint plant
• Scissors
• Plant pot
• Well-draining soil

Step 1: Take a cutting

First you’ll want to take a cutting from a healthy plant. Below shows a good example of a cutting. I recommend ensuring you have a few inches of stem to bury in the soil and a few sets of leaves.

Step 2: Prepare cuttings to plant

To prepare your cuttings to plant, I recommend gently stripping the bottom-most set or two of leaves (depending on the size of your cutting) from the stem. This will make it easier to plant.

You can dip your cuttings in a bit of rooting hormone if you have it, but it’s totally optional. Since catmint is part of the mint family, this one grows quite prolifically without a lot of help!

Step 3: Plant in soil & keep moist

Next you can plant your cuttings in moist, well-draining soil. I recommend planting a few different cuttings in one small post to increase your chances that one will be successful. Put the post in a bright, warm spot, and keep the soil moist.

Step 4: Inspect roots & pot separately

After about a month, I decided it was time to check the roots. I noticed some new growth emerging from the tips of the planted cuttings, and that’s always a good sign! I gently dumped the cuttings out of their pot and separated them.

Be very careful when doing this—you don’t want to pull off the roots! If you have some good root growth going, I recommend potting the cuttings separately to give them more root to grow. Or you can take a chance and pop them in the ground at this point. They’ll probably be fine, but you’ll up your chances of success by letting the roots develop a bit more.

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