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Searching for a perennial that offers months of soft lavender color, aromatic foliage, and zero fuss? Catmint delivers a dense carpet of gray-green leaves and tall flower spikes that butterflies adore, all while repelling deer and rabbits. It thrives in poor soil, laughs at drought, and keeps blooming from late spring through early fall with minimal deadheading—making it a backbone plant for any low-maintenance border or rock garden.
I’m Mohammad Maruf — the founder and writer behind Gardening Beyond. I’ve spent years analyzing market trends, comparing nursery stock quality, and cross-referencing hardiness zone data with verified buyer feedback to separate the truly vigorous catmint cultivars from weak performers that disappoint after planting.
Whether you need a compact edger for a sunny pathway or a spreading ground cover for a dry slope, this guide evaluates the strongest specimens currently available. Here is my pick for the top catmint for sale this season, ranked by root system health, shipping reliability, and proven landscape performance.
How To Choose The Best Catmint For Sale
Catmint (Nepeta) is not a single species—it covers several hybrids and selections with different habits. Choosing the wrong variety for your space or buying plants with weak root systems leads to sparse growth and disappointing flower coverage. Here are the three most important factors to evaluate before clicking buy.
Cultivar and Mature Dimensions
Compact varieties like ‘Junior Walker’ stay under 24 inches tall and spread moderately, making them ideal for edging borders or small containers. The classic ‘Walker’s Low’ reaches 24-30 inches with a wider spread of 18-24 inches. If you need a tall, airy filler for the middle of a perennial bed, look for ‘Six Hills Giant’ which can reach 36 inches. Always match the mature height and spread to your available planting area to avoid overcrowding within two seasons.
Container Size and Root Mass
A #1 container (roughly one gallon) holds a much larger root system than a pint pot. Plants shipped in pint pots are younger and will require a full growing season to establish before they produce a significant bloom display. If you want immediate visual impact in the first summer, a #1 container is the better investment. Pint pots are perfectly fine for adding multiple plants to a larger bed on a tighter budget—they just need more patience.
Hardiness Zone and Shipping Restrictions
Most Nepeta faassenii hybrids are rated for USDA zones 4 through 8 or 9. If you live in a restricted state such as California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, or Idaho, many nurseries cannot ship catmint due to agricultural regulations. Always check the seller’s shipping policy and your zone rating before placing an order. Buying a plant outside its hardiness range results in winter kill or poor performance.
Quick Comparison
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| Model | Category | Best For | Key Spec | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenwood Nursery ‘Junior Walker’ (2-Pack) | Premium | Immediate twin-plant coverage for borders | 2x pint pots, zones 4-8 | Amazon |
| Perennial Farm ‘Walker’s Low’ #1 Container | Mid-Range | Largest root mass for fast first-season bloom | #1 container (1 gal), zones 5-9 | Amazon |
| Greenwood Nursery ‘Junior Walker’ (Single) | Mid-Range | Compact variety for small-space gardens | 1x pint pot, zones 4-8 | Amazon |
| Live Catnip (Nepeta cataria) 4-Pack | Budget | Budget-friendly catnip for cat enrichment | 4x pint pots, zones 3-9 | Amazon |
In‑Depth Reviews
1. Greenwood Nursery ‘Junior Walkers Low’ Catmint (2-Pack)
This twin-pack from Greenwood Nursery offers the compact ‘Junior Walker’ cultivar—a refined Nepeta × faassenii hybrid that stays under two feet tall with a tidy, mounding habit. The gray-green foliage is intensely aromatic, releasing a pleasant minty scent whenever brushed, while the lavender flower spikes appear continuously from late spring through early fall. Each plant arrives in its own pint pot, sleeved in craft paper and stabilized inside a corrugated box with air pillows—a packing standard that keeps soil intact even during rough transit.
Both plants are deciduous and fast-growing once established, thriving in full sun to partial shade with well-drained soil. The key advantage here is getting two genetically identical, zone-hardy specimens in a single order, which allows you to create an instant matched pair for flanking a walkway or filling both ends of a border. Greenwood Nursery also includes a 14-day guarantee from delivery date, and multiple verified buyers have praised the absence of brown spots or wilting upon arrival.
The only trade-off is the pint-pot size. These are younger plants than what you’d get from a gallon container, meaning the first-season bloom will be moderate—full visual impact arrives in year two. For the gardener who wants symmetrical coverage without buying two separate single-packs, this is the most practical catmint for sale right now.
What works
- Two identical plants for symmetrical border placement
- Superior shipping packaging prevents soil spill and breakage
- 14-day guarantee with responsive customer support
What doesn’t
- Pint-pot size means slower first-year establishment
- Some buyers report occasional dry wrapping despite moist paper
2. Perennial Farm Marketplace ‘Walker’s Low’ Catmint (#1 Container)
This is the 2007 Perennial Plant of the Year—a title it earned for its exceptional heat tolerance, long bloom season, and deer resistance. The ‘Walker’s Low’ cultivar produces deep lavender flower spikes that rise 24-30 inches above fragrant gray-green leaves, blooming continuously from June through August with a strong rebloom if cut back after the first flush. The #1 container means this plant arrives with a fully developed root ball that fills the pot, giving it a significant head start over pint-pot competitors.
Multiple verified reviews confirm that plants arrive healthy and green, often with soil still moist from the greenhouse. Butterflies and hummingbirds frequent the flowers, while deer and rabbits leave it untouched. The plant requires full sun and well-drained soil, and it’s hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9—though the seller cannot ship to AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, or HI due to agricultural restrictions.
A minority of buyers have flagged that the “#1 container” label sometimes gets confused with a quart pot. The term “#1” in nursery trade means a one-gallon container, but some inexperienced resellers may ship a smaller pot. If container size accuracy matters to you, confirm with the seller before ordering. For sheer root mass and first-year show, this is the strongest option on this list.
What works
- Largest root ball of any option—fastest first-season establishment
- Reputable award-winning cultivar with proven landscape performance
- Strong rebloom potential with simple deadheading
What doesn’t
- Cannot ship to several western states
- Some buyers received quart pots instead of full #1 container
3. Greenwood Nursery ‘Junior Walkers Low’ Catmint (Single)
If you need just a single, well-rooted plant for a small container or a tight border spot, this single pint pot from Greenwood Nursery delivers the same ‘Junior Walker’ cultivar as the two-pack. The plant is compact by nature—mature height of just 12-24 inches with a similar spread—making it one of the best catmint for sale for small-space gardens or edging narrow pathways where a taller variety would flop over the edge.
The deer- and rabbit-resistant foliage carries the same aromatic quality as the larger Walker’s Low, but the ‘Junior’ selection is noticeably denser, creating a neater clump that rarely requires staking. Greenwood packs each order with craft paper sleeves and corrugated boxes, and multiple buyers have commented on the exceptional health of plants upon arrival—no brown spots, no broken stems, and the soil still moist. The 14-day guarantee applies to single orders as well.
One review noted that a plant died within ten days of planting despite irrigation. Transplant shock can happen with any young perennial, especially if the root ball is disturbed or the soil drainage is poor. To mitigate this, water deeply immediately after planting and provide partial shade for the first week in hot climates. Gardeners wanting instant mass should consider buying two singles or the two-pack instead.
What works
- Compact habit ideal for small containers and edging
- Consistently healthy plants with moist soil on arrival
- Reliable family-owned nursery with responsive support
What doesn’t
- Young pint-pot size needs a full season to mature
- Occasional transplant failure if drainage is poor
4. Live Catnip – Nepeta cataria (4 Plants Per Pack)
Note carefully: this is true catnip (Nepeta cataria), not the ornamental catmint hybrid (Nepeta × faassenii) found in the other listings on this page. Catnip has a looser, rangier growth habit, less showy flowers, and a much stronger effect on felines—it will attract neighborhood cats to roll in your garden. If your goal is a pristine ornamental border that stays cat-free, this is not your plant. If you want an affordable, fast-growing herb for cat enrichment and natural mosquito repellent, this four-pack delivers excellent value.
Each of the four plants ships in its own one-pint pot, and reviews are split on condition: some buyers received beautiful, staked plants with healthy leaves, while others reported bent or smashed stalks. The seller, The Three Company, does offer refunds for dead-on-arrival plants, but the shipping variability is higher than the Greenwood offerings. The plants are perennial in zones 3-9, thrive in full sun, and bloom from spring through fall with small white-to-pink flowers that pollinators love.
The main functional difference is the nepetalactone content—catnip contains high levels of this iridoid, which triggers euphoria in most cats. If you’re buying specifically for feline enrichment, this four-pack is a cost-effective way to establish a patch that keeps on giving each year. For ornamental landscaping, stick with the Nepeta faassenii hybrids above.
What works
- Four plants per pack—lowest cost per plant on this list
- High nepetalactone content for cat enrichment
- Repels mosquitoes naturally
What doesn’t
- True catnip, not ornamental catmint—attracts cats aggressively
- Inconsistent shipping quality; some plants arrive damaged
Hardware & Specs Guide
Container Size Equivalents
The #1 container used by Perennial Farm holds roughly one gallon (3.8 liters) of soil, representing a plant that is 12-18 months old with a well-developed root system. Pint pots (commonly used by Greenwood Nursery) hold 1 pint (0.47 liters) and contain younger, less-established plants that will need a full growing season to produce their best display. A #1 container costs more but delivers faster landscape impact. Pint pots are more budget-friendly and work well for mass plantings where patience is acceptable.
Nepeta cataria vs. Nepeta × faassenii
Nepeta cataria (catnip) grows loosely to 3 feet tall, has smaller white-to-pink flowers, and produces high levels of nepetalactone—the compound that causes euphoric reactions in cats. Nepeta × faassenii (ornamental catmint) is a sterile hybrid that stays more compact, produces showier lavender-purple flower spikes, and contains much lower nepetalactone levels. Most cats ignore faassenii hybrids. If you want ornamental value without feline disruption, choose a faassenii cultivar like ‘Walker’s Low’ or ‘Junior Walker’. If you want cat enrichment, choose N. cataria.
FAQ
Will Walker’s Low catmint take over my garden beds?
Why can’t some sellers ship catmint to California or Colorado?
How close together should I plant multiple catmint pint pots?
What is the difference between a pint pot and a #1 container when ordering online?
Final Thoughts: The Verdict
For most gardeners, the catmint for sale winner is the Greenwood Nursery ‘Junior Walker’ 2-Pack because it provides two compact, identical plants in a single order with premium packaging and a reliable guarantee. If you want the fastest first-season bloom with the largest root mass, grab the Perennial Farm Marketplace ‘Walker’s Low’ #1 Container. And for budget-friendly cat enrichment that repels mosquitoes, nothing beats the Live Catnip 4-Pack.