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Kendall County (IL) Forest Preserve District Catnip The non-native (Eurasian) Catnip is a common weed in our area. It prefers full or partial sun and moist to dry soil. Habitats include open woodlands, weedy meadows, pastures and gravelly areas along railroads. This perenniall is 1-4' tall, branching some, with light green 4-angled stems and opposite toothed leaves up to 4" long and 2" across with light green petioles about 1" long. The upper stems terminate in dense whorls of flowers on spike-like racemes about 1-6" long. Each flower is about 1/3" long. The corolla is tubular, 2-lipped, and dull white, light blue-violet or lavender.
Catnip at Maramech Forest Preserve July 8, 2017
Catnip at Maramech Forest Preserve July 8, 2017
Although native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, it is now also common in
North America. This herb has a long history of medicinal use for its soothing
properties and has also been known to have a slightly numbing effect. Catnip causes
intensely pleasurable reactions in most domestic cats and also in some lions,
bobcats, lynx, leopards, jaguars, pumas and ocelots (per wikipedia.org).
Nepetalactone, an essential oil found in the stems and leaves of Catnip (and
other "cat mints"), has distinctive aromatic qualities which are
very attractive to cats that have the “catnip gene.” The inhaled chemical
sets off a chain of amusing, and sometimes aggressive, behavioral changes
that have been described as “sexual,” “playful” and sometimes
“hallucinatory" - in other words, a "high”. But, the oil can
be objectionable to other animals and is sometimes used to
deter insects, mice and rats. Click here for more information. Copyright © 2011-2017 by Kendall County Forest Preserve District. All Rights Reserved. |
