Dropmore Catmint

Dropmore Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii 'Dropmore')

Dropmore Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii 'Dropmore') is a sun-loving perennial grown for its aromatic gray-green foliage and its long season of lavender-blue flowers that bring steady color to borders and foundation plantings. It forms a mounding clump that reads as soft and relaxed, but it still delivers a strong bloom show from late spring into summer, often with repeat flowering after a quick trim. The fine texture makes it an easy companion to roses, salvias, coneflowers, and ornamental grasses, helping tie mixed plantings together without looking busy. With its dependable bloom and garden-friendly habit, Dropmore Catmint makes an excellent focal point when planted in repeating groups that create a ribbon of blue through sunny beds.

Distinctive Features

The standout feature is the combination of fragrant foliage and long bloom, which keeps the plant interesting even when it is not at peak flower. Leaves are lightly fuzzy and aromatic, adding soft texture and a clean, silvery-green tone that works as a visual neutral in many designs. Flower spikes rise above the foliage with a light, airy look and are highly attractive to bees and other beneficial insects. Like many catmints, Dropmore performs best in well-drained soil and tends to look its best when sheared after the first heavy flush of bloom.

Growing Conditions

• Sun: Full sun is best; tolerates light shade but flowering is usually stronger with more sun.
• Soil: Well-drained soil; performs best in average to lean soils and does not like wet feet.
• Water: Moderate; water regularly during establishment, then water during extended dry spells.
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8.
• Habit: Mounding perennial with airy flower spikes.
• Mature Size: About 18 to 24 inches tall and 24 to 30 inches wide.

Ideal Uses

• Focal Point: Use as a repeatable blue accent that draws the eye through sunny borders.
• Border Edging: Plant along walks and bed edges for a soft line of texture and seasonal color.
• Foundation Planting: Adds long-blooming color and soft foliage without feeling heavy or bulky.
• Pollinator Plantings: Supports bees and beneficial insects during a long flowering season.
• Companion Planting: Pairs well with roses, salvias, echinacea, rudbeckia, and ornamental grasses for an easy, cohesive look.

Low Maintenance Care

• Watering: Keep evenly watered during the first growing season; after that, water only during prolonged drought.
• Shearing: Trim back after the first heavy bloom to encourage fresh growth and repeat flowering.
• Soil Management: Avoid rich, constantly wet soils, which can reduce flowering and cause decline.
• Fertilizing: Usually not needed; a light spring feeding is enough in poor soils.
• Spacing: Provide airflow to help foliage stay clean in humid weather.
• Dividing: Divide every few years if plants become woody or less vigorous.

Why Choose Dropmore Catmint?

• Long Bloom Season: Provides weeks of lavender-blue flowers with strong potential for repeat bloom after shearing.
• Aromatic Foliage: Soft, gray-green leaves add fragrance and clean texture in mixed beds.
• Easy Border Performance: Mounding habit works as a filler and edge plant in sunny landscapes.
• Pollinator Support: Flowers attract bees and other beneficial insects through the season.
• Strong Focal Point Value: Creates a repeatable ribbon of blue that holds beds together visually.

If you want a dependable catmint that brings aromatic foliage and long-lasting lavender-blue blooms, Dropmore Catmint adds focal point color, soft texture, and reliable performance in sunny, well-drained borders.