Walker's Low Catmint (Faassen's Catmint) care

Light

Most houseplants will scorch where walker's low catmint thrives. Give it the windowsill you'd otherwise leave empty because everything else burned there. Full sun (6+ hours) produces the most compact, floriferous plants. Will grow in partial shade but stems become lax and bloom quantity drops noticeably. A plant moved abruptly from low light to direct sun bleaches in 48 hours — always acclimatise over a week.

Watering

Aim for every 7–14 days once established for walker's low catmint, but treat that as a starting point rather than a rule. A south-facing summer windowsill will dry the pot twice as fast as a north-facing winter room. Lift the pot; if it feels noticeably lighter than it did wet, water it. Highly drought-tolerant after establishment. Water deeply but infrequently; soggy soil leads to root and crown rot. New plantings need consistent moisture for the first season.

Soil and pot

Walker's Low Catmint grows best in well-drained loam, sandy loam, or chalky soil; ph 6.0–8.0. Extremely adaptable — performs well on poor, stony, or alkaline soils where more demanding plants fail. Rich, wet soils cause excessive vegetative growth and flop. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Walker's Low Catmint sits happiest at around 30–60% humidity and −30°C to 35°C (−22°F to 95°F). Prefers low to moderate humidity. Ensure good airflow to prevent powdery mildew. Performs well in the drier conditions of Mediterranean-style and prairie gardens. If you keep the room above −30°C to 35°C year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed walker's low catmint sparingly. Rarely required. A light top-dressing of compost in spring is sufficient. Heavy feeding causes lush, floppy growth. This plant thrives on neglect in lean conditions. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on walker's low catmint in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Flopping after first bloom — Stems sprawl after peak flowering in early summer. Cut the whole plant back to 10–15 cm immediately after bloom to stimulate fresh, upright regrowth and a strong second flush.
• Powdery mildew — White fungal coating occurs in humid, crowded conditions. Space plants at least 60 cm apart, improve airflow, and avoid overhead watering. Rarely severe enough to require fungicide.
• Cats rolling and crushing plants — Cats are attracted to all Nepeta. Protect young transplants with wire cloches until established. Older, woody-based plants are more resilient to feline attention.

Propagation

Divide established clumps in spring or early autumn — clumps should be divided every 3–4 years to maintain vigour. Take basal stem cuttings in spring. Does not come true from seed as it is a sterile hybrid. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Walker's Low Catmint is pet-safe. Nepeta × faassenii is listed by ASPCA as non-toxic to dogs and cats. As a sterile hybrid it does not set seed, but essential oil contact may cause mild temporary excitement in cats that roll on plants. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Walker's Low Catmint deep-dive guides

Every aspect of walker's low catmint care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Common walker's low catmint problems & fixes
• Walker's Low Catmint watering schedule
• Walker's Low Catmint light requirements
• Best soil mix for walker's low catmint
• Walker's Low Catmint fertilizing guide
• When to repot walker's low catmint
• How to propagate walker's low catmint
• How to prune walker's low catmint
• What's eating my walker's low catmint?
• Walker's Low Catmint growth rate & size
• Walker's Low Catmint cold hardiness
• Walker's Low Catmint temperature & humidity
• Is walker's low catmint toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is walker's low catmint toxic to cats?
• Is walker's low catmint toxic to dogs?
• All 19 Nepeta varieties
• Getting walker's low catmint to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Walker's Low Catmint qualifies for 9 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
• Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Best pet-safe low-maintenance plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and forgiving of forgotten watering — the easiest safe choices for a busy pet household.
• Best pet-safe flowering plants — Flowering houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — colour and blooms in a pet home, without the worry.
• Best pet-safe plants for bright light — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in a bright, sunny spot — safe plants for your best-lit windowsill.
• Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
• Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
• Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Walker's Low Catmint is also commonly called Walker's Low Catmint or Faassen's Catmint.

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