Lesser calamint

Sun

Full sun; tolerates light shade, but flowers less freely and may become floppy.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, then during prolonged drought. Established plants tolerate dry soil but dislike winter wet.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, gravelly or loamy soil; tolerates chalk and relatively poor soil. Avoid heavy, persistently wet ground.

Height

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Flowers

Summer to autumn, often until frost; tiny white, pale lilac or pinkish-lilac flowers.

Foliage

Small, oval, softly hairy green to grey-green leaves with shallow teeth and a strong minty scent when crushed. Usually deciduous, though some foliage may persist in mild winters.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Water newly planted clumps whenever the root zone begins to dry during their first growing season.
• Once established, water deeply during prolonged dry spells rather than keeping the soil constantly moist.
• Avoid rich feeding; excessive nitrogen encourages soft, floppy growth.
• Keep mulch away from the crown; use gravel rather than thick organic mulch on moisture-retentive soil.
• Remove unwanted seedlings while small, especially in gravel and paving joints.

Pruning. In early spring, cut old stems back to just above the crown before strong new growth starts. Lightly shear untidy plants after the first main flush of flowers to encourage fresh growth and reduce self-seeding.

Early spring

Cut back old stems and remove weeds around the crown.

Spring

Plant in well-drained soil, or divide established clumps as new growth begins.

Late spring

Check new plants regularly and water when the root zone starts to dry.

Summer

Water established plants only during prolonged drought; lightly shear if flowering becomes sparse.

Late summer

Remove fading flower stems before seed ripens if seedlings are unwanted.

Autumn

Leave sound stems standing if desired, and clear fallen leaves from the crown to prevent damp buildup.

• Edge sunny paths where brushing the foliage releases its minty scent.
• Repeat small groups through gravel planting with lavender and ornamental grasses for a loose, airy layer.
• Plant around roses to soften bare lower stems without adding a dense mass of foliage.
• Use at the front of sunny perennial borders, weaving its pale flowers between stronger flower shapes.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, Mediterranean, Dry gravel garden, Pollinator garden, New perennial (prairie) and Sensory garden.

Plant it with: Lavender, Upright stonecrop, Purple coneflower, Yarrow, Feather reed grass and Shrub roses.

Wildlife: The flowers provide nectar for bees and other pollinating insects over a long season. It is native to parts of Europe, North Africa and western Asia, not to North America or Australia.

• Crown or root rot in wet soil: improve drainage or move the plant to a raised bed; avoid heavy mulch against the crown.
• Powdery mildew in crowded, poorly ventilated planting: allow more space, water at soil level and remove badly affected growth.
• Floppy stems in shade or rich soil: move to a sunnier position and stop high-nitrogen feeding.
• Unwanted seedlings: remove spent flower stems before seed ripens and pull seedlings while their roots are small.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. The leaves are used as a culinary herb, but animal-specific safety information is limited; do not encourage pets or livestock to eat large quantities, and keep concentrated essential oils away from them.

• Catmint (Nepeta × faassenii)

  Usually has greyer foliage and larger blue-purple flowers arranged in more obvious spikes; lesser calamint has a finer, branching haze of much smaller, paler flowers.

• Large-flowered calamint (Clinopodium grandiflorum)

  Has noticeably larger leaves and much larger pink flowers, rather than the tiny pale flowers of lesser calamint.

• Wild basil (Clinopodium vulgare)

  Has pink-purple flowers crowded into distinct whorls around the stems, with conspicuously hairy bracts; lesser calamint has looser, finely branched flower clusters.

The epithet nepeta is the Latin name for catmint, reflecting lesser calamint's resemblance to its mint-family relatives.

Propagation. Divide clumps in spring or take softwood cuttings in late spring to early summer. The species can also be grown from seed and may self-seed; seedlings from named cultivars may not match the parent.

Accepted botanical name

Clinopodium nepeta

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Albania, Algeria, Austria, Baleares, Bulgaria, Corse, East Aegean Is., France, Greece, Hungary, Iran and Italy.

Measured

Average height 25 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.