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Lesser Calamint

Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta

$1699
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Fast, Safe Plant Delivery
Ships in 3-4 business days • Tracking provided • Weather protected

Under $50 $9.99
$50 - $99.99 $14.99
$100 - $149.99 $16.99
$150 - $198.99 $24.99
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Plant Sentry Protected

Plant Sentryâ„¢ Protected

Your order is protected by our compliance system that:

  • Prevents restricted plants from shipping to your state
  • Ensures plants meet your state's agricultural requirements
  • Protects gardens from invasive pests and diseases

Learn more about Plant Sentryâ„¢

Plant Profile & Growing Essentials

Cold hardy, Low Maintenance, Flowering, Fragrant, Deer-resistant, Attracts pollinators, Drought resistant, Heat Tolerant, Groundcover, and Container Friendly

Specifications
  • Botanical Name
    Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta
  • Height
    1-2 ft
  • Width
    1-2 ft
  • Growing Zones
    5-8
  • Sunlight
    • Full sun
  • Growth Rate
    Moderate
  • Flower Color
    • Purple
    • White
  • Leaf Color
    • Green
  • Pollinator Friendly
    Yes
  • Fragrant
    Yes
  • Bloom Period
    Late Summer, Early Fall, Late Fall
  • Does Not Ship To
    AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA

Planting & Care Instructions

Where to Plant

  • Sunlight: Lesser Calamint performs best in full sun, meaning at least six hours of direct light daily. While it can tolerate partial shade, the stems will likely stretch and become floppy rather than maintaining their signature tidy mound.
  • Soil: This plant requires excellent drainage to prevent root rot, especially during wet winters. If you have heavy clay soil, plant it in a raised bed or mix in some pea gravel to create the gritty, porous environment its roots prefer.

Watering Requirements

During the first growing season, water your Lesser Calamint twice a week to help the root system get established. Once mature, the plant is remarkably drought tolerant and only needs supplemental water during long periods of extreme heat or dry spells. Be careful not to overwater, as "wet feet" is the quickest way to stress this herb and cause its foliage to yellow.

Pruning Tips

This plant blooms on new wood, so the best time for a "haircut" is in early spring before the new growth begins. Use garden shears to cut the previous year's dead stems down to about three inches above the ground to make way for fresh, vigorous shoots. You can also lightly shear the plant back by a few inches in midsummer to refresh the foliage and encourage a secondary burst of flowers.

Fertilizer Needs

Lesser Calamint is a light feeder and prefers leaner soils over rich, pampered ground. Apply a single application of a balanced, slow release fertilizer in early spring as you see green growth emerging. Avoid using high nitrogen fertilizers, as these will produce a lot of weak leaves at the expense of the tiny flowers and the plant's aromatic oils.

Hundreds of Blooms on the Fragrant Lesser Calamint!

There's nothing 'lesser' about it! The Lesser Calamint (Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta) is an astounding sight when in bloom! Hundreds of tiny pale lilac-white blooms accented by a polka-dot on the petals. Tiny individual, tubular white flowers line the stems and are irresistible to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds!

Upright, clusters of amazingly lacy, airy, and delicate texture! Born in such profusion that the entire mounded plant looks like a cloud from June until frost! The soft-green leaves are aromatic and show off their Mint-Family relations with their square stems and minty scent.

Spicy fragrance top to bottom, Calamints are herbal plants that thrive in poor conditions, hot sun, and difficult locations with ease! Hardy throughout USDA planting zones 5 to 8, these clumping, mounded perennials grow 12 - 18 inches tall and spread 18 - 24 inches wide.

How to Use Lesser Calamint In The Landscape

Calamintha Nepeta is long-blooming, from early summer until frost, lighting up sun-baked areas with delicate airy texture! Fantastic for Xeric sites and fire-wise landscaping, Calamints are ideal perennials for edging, mass plantings, and adding ribbons of brightness throughout your garden beds.

Plant along that roadside 'hell strip', or walkway borders where the relentless sun won't let up and the soil may be poor or rocky! Pollinator borders and Rock gardens, Herb gardens, and sunny Perennial beds are perfect spots for these herbaceous perennial plants! Calamint grows anywhere! Great cut flowers and even great container plants!

Calamints are widely used medicinal herbs and can be made for tea and used as seasoning!

  • Clouds of Tiny Lilac-White Flowers
  • Minty Color & Fragrant Foliage!
  • Upright & Bushy Growth
  • Attracts Bees & Beneficial Insects!
  • Edging, Xeric Sites, Fire-Wise, Herb Gardens & Sun-Baked Beds

#ProPlantTips For Care

Lesser Calamint loves full sun and need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. Not particular on soil, any type of dry to average moisture and well-drained soil location will work great. Plus Calamint has great drought tolerance once established and it is easy to grow!

These are rabbit and deer-resistant, pest and disease-free! Calamint are low-maintenance plants that thrive on neglect! In the fall after several killing frosts, cut back to the ground, or wait until spring before it starts to grow, removing all above-ground parts each year.

  • Thrives in Sun & Heat!
  • Needs Well-Drained Soil
  • Moderate Moisture Needs - Low Once Established
  • Poor Soil & Tough Conditions
  • Hardy & Tolerant
  • Deer Resistant & Drought-Tolerant

You won't go wrong with these tough plants! So order your Lesser Calamint from Nature Hills today!

Growing Zones 5-8

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