Plants in a Different “Cat”- egory

Unfortunately having an allergy to cats is not uncommon. If a furry cat is out of the question, try a green one instead.  Botanists seem to have a fondness for naming plants after cats or cat features, including cattails (Typha spp.), kitten tails (Besseya bullii), pussytoes (Antennaria), catnip (Nepeta cataria), cat mint (Nepeta xfaassenii), and pussy willow (Salix discolor).

Cattails are a wetland plant and unlikely to make it into a home landscape.  Kitten tails is a threatened Wisconsin plant that grows along small woodland openings or bluff edges.  It blooms in late May through late June, but would not thrive in a home environment.

There are 6 species of pussytoes common to southern Wisconsin.  They have white to pinkish flowers that bloom in late spring on plants that are only about ten inches tall.  They are dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are on separate plants.  Each stem will have 4-17 fuzzy flowers, each about one-eighth inch long that distinctly resemble kitten toes, giving them their well-earned name.  This plant does well in full sun, lean soil, and rocky slopes.  It is a perfect choice for rock gardens, paired with monarda and ornamental grasses.

Catnip is a member of the mint family, giving it a hardy, vigorous, perennial growth pattern. It is native to Eurasia, but has naturalized to much of the temperate regions of the world. While cats find the aroma appealing, people tend to describe it as “skunky”.  There are a number of varieties, but all grow in full sun and moist, well-drained soil.  Cutting the plants back during the growing season will yield a more compact plant.  Cutting it back to the spring to ground level just as growth resumes will keep a healthy plant for years to come.

Catnip will flower from late spring through fall for one to two months. Pollinators of all ilk will flock to the nectar laden flowers.  Shearing the plant back after flowering will result in a second blooming. While this plant is deer resistant, it may be damaged by wandering cats.

Cat mint is in the same genus as catnip, but it warrants special mention. This plant, is not nearly as attractive to cats, but is still exceptionally attractive to pollinators. The low mounding plant with grey-green foliage blooms profusely with beautiful blue flowers. Care for it would be similar to catnip. It makes a nice contract when paired with bright orange or soft yellow flowers.    

Pussy willow is a favorite of children in the spring. This is another dioecious plant.  The female catkins are green, thick and caterpillar-like while the males have pearl-gray, silky, long catkins that resemble the paws on a cat. If purchasing a pussy will for ornamental purposes, the best choice would be a male specimen to get that late winter display of catkins.

Pussy willows prefer full sun, but will tolerate some shade.  They need moist soils to thrive and do well in shallow spots or along ponds and streams where other shrubs would struggle. Cut the plants back to the ground every 3-5 years to maintain a smaller shrub size.

Botanists have not neglected our canine friends and there are plenty of plants with dog friendly names.  Stay tuned for that information in a future article.

Enjoy a purr-fectly good garden with these plants.

Carol Shirk

Certified Master Gardener