calamint
Clinopodium nepeta
Perennial Plant of the Year 2021
USDA zones5 to 9
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
WaterHandles dry to moderate soil
Size12 to 18 inches tall12 to 24 inches wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Dense
- Bloom season
- Summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Pink, purple, white
- Foliage color
- Gray/silver, green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, chalk
- Soil pH
- Alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Calamint (Clinopodium nepeta) is a perennial for borders, pollinator gardens, rock gardens, and ground cover. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes full sun and dry to average, sandy, loamy, or chalky soil. Its gray-green leaves are fragrant, and small pink, purple, or white flowers appear from early to late summer and again in autumn. Deer tend to pass it by. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds visit the blooms.
Pairs well with Anise hyssop, Creeping thyme, and Blue grama.
Native range
Europe, Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, and 9 more places. See all 13
Europe, Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, Baleares, Corse, East Aegean Is., Kriti, Krym, NW. Balkan Pen., Sardegna, Sicilia, and Türkiye.