How can I identify catnip? There's this plant growing in my yard that looks seriously like catnip...I...
There's this plant growing in my yard that looks seriously like catnip...I wonder if it is...Has a square stem, fuzzy graygreen heart shaped leaves...
My cat doesn't respond to a fresh leaf though.(not adjectives do).
How can I tell if it is catnip, or something like put off nettle or Am. Germader? All I can tell is it's definately some mint relative!
Dry it out and make available it to a cat. If they roll in it and act adjectives funny and stuff, it's catnip, if they walk away, it's not. Moth
The picture that person -------^^^ linked looks zilch like any catnip I ever saw!
If you smell it and it smells something like gasoline next it probably is catnip. I mean, it doesn't smell like gasoline but the smell reminds you of something from an grease well...
The catnip in my courtyard has pale wan lavender flowers growing from the tips and branches of the stems. Fresh catnip has a very distinct strong smell that mostly disappears when it dries.
Answers: It sounds like catnip - Nepeta species, and there's a photo on the attached site that illustrate how it looks quite well:
http://www.magicgardenseeds.com/images/p...
There are slightly a few varieties, ranging from dwarf plants to larger version, so height alone is not a good track to identify it, if you look for details on plant sites etc. When your plant flowers it will further help you to confirm your ideas, as the flowers are pretty distinctive. They are for a moment nettle like, mostly in varied shades of blue/
Perhaps try some leaf scent on some other cats, and see how they respond. Mine chews the leaves, as well as going for a moment mad when she's around it - not all do, as you mentioned.
Hope this help. Good luck! Rob