Catnip, Japanese aka Jing Jie (Nepeta tenuifolia)

Often known by its traditional name jing jie, Japanese Catnip is an annual mint much loved across East Asia for both its aromatic presence and its deep cultural history. Slender stems rise from a tidy base of softly serrated leaves, each releasing a gentle, clean fragrance when touched- refreshing yet subtly warming. As summer unfolds, the plant produces airy spikes of pale lavender to soft purple blooms, their delicate, tubular flowers inviting bees and small pollinators to linger. Light and wind set the blossoms dancing, giving Nepeta tenuifolia a soft, almost ethereal motion in the garden.

Across Chinese, Korean, and Japanese herbal traditions, jing jie has been valued for centuries. Its flowering tops were typically gathered just as the buds began to open, then dried for use in preparations intended to support everyday wellness, especially those linked to seasonal transitions and respiratory comfort. In kitchens, the fragrant leaves and flowers sometimes found their way into broths, teas, or herbal blends, offering a mild, minty-spiced aroma rooted in long-standing traditional practice.

Admired for its resilience and elegant structure, Japanese Catnip thrives in full sun to light shade and prefers well-drained soils, growing quickly through the warm months to form upright bouquets of textured foliage and lilac-tipped flower spikes. Its light, airy habit makes it a lovely complement to other herbs and ornamentals and offers a serene and meaningful addition, at once gentle, useful, and beautifully attuned to the rhythms of the season.