Catnip
CATNIP
Nepeta cataria
Common Name
Catnip, catnep, nep, cat’s wort, catmint, field balm
Actions
Analgesic, anticatarrhal, antispasmodic, aperient, bitter, carminative, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, nervine, sedative
Energetics
Warming
Edible Uses
Young catnip leaves can be eaten raw and in salads as an herbal mint-like addition, as it is part of the mint family of herbs. The fresh young roots can also be eaten or used to flavor food and then discarded.
Native To
Europe, southwestern and central Asia
Geographic Distribution
Catnip is naturalized throughout Europe, Asia, North America, and the mountains of tropical Africa, and cultivated worldwide
Botanical Description & Identification
Catnip is a perennial herb with coarse, hairy leaves with serrated edges and branching stems. I can grow up to 3 ft tall. As a part of the mint family catnip has a pungent, minty-like flavor and aroma. It bears small purplish flowers in the upper part of its leaves and blooms from midsummer until fall.
Key Constituents
Volatile oil, iridoids, and tannins
Sustainability Issues
None known.
Harvesting Guidelines
Catnip should be harvested in mid to late summer or when the plants are in full bloom. The leaves and flowers can be removed from their stems after dried out of direct sunlight and should be stored in dark containers for preservation.
Uses
Catnip is known to:
*Ease colic and mental distress
*Help expel gas
*Decrease spasms and restlessness of the muscles
*Reduce/Relieve teething in babies and toothaches in adults
*Help heal wounds, boils, ulcers, scrapes and sunburned skin
*Improve circulation
*Ease symptoms of depression
*Improve lethargy
*Relieve coughs
*Stimulate bruise healing
*Increase scalp health
*Improve skin lesions
*Relieve stomach upset
*Decrease swelling
*Expel intestinal worms (when taken as an internal herb remedy)
*Help normalize blood pressure
*Relieve symptoms of ADHD
*Reduce fever
*Ease hemorrhoids
*Ease symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea
*Ease joint pain and stiffness
Catnip is useful in the following more common disorders and diseases:
Headaches, stomachaches, colic, constipation, fever, menstrual cramping, allergies, cold-like illnesses, heartburn, motion sickness, caffeine overdose, measles, hives, rashes, scarlatina, ulcerative colitis, teething and toothaches, depression, cardiac complications, lethargy, hemorrhoids, nicotine addiction, ADHD
Most common uses:
It has been traditionally seen as a child's nervine herb, helping to relax colic or upset and is especially beneficial as a relaxant tea before bedtime. It has also been known to stave off nightmares and to help the 'Worry Worts' in adulthood.
Fun Facts:
Catnip is:
* Loved and known to be nipped by cats, hence the name 'catnip'. It uplifts their
mood and acts as a stimulant, the opposite of its effect on humans.
* Known to attract bees and butterflies to the garden.
* An adaptable herb and can easily be grown indoors.
* Can help to repel insects from the garden.
* Is a drought tolerant plant.
* Especially keen on growing in more difficult areas in nature such as loose, rocky
soils.
* Known to be used by folk traditions in children who would wear bags of crushed
catnip as a sort of necklace so they could inhale the plant's calming vapors.
References
Apelian, N., & Davis, C. (2019). The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies: The Healing Power of Plant Medicine.
Hoffman, D. (1987). The Herbal Handbook: A User's Guide to Medical Herbalism.
Lahhari, A. (2021). Native American Herbalist's Bible.
Recipes and Monographs Compiled From The Intermediate Herbal Course. Copyright: The Herbal Academy.
The Herbal Academy Herbarium and Materia Medica. Copyright: The Herbal Academy.
McIntyre, A. (2019). The Complete Herbal Tutor: The Definitive Guide to the Principles and Practices of Herbal Medicine.
Wood, M. (2008). The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants
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