This is the third in a series titled My Friend Herb. The intention is to introduce you to some of my favorite herbs, their traditional uses and the stories surrounding them. Today I would like to introduce you to my friend Herb, his friends call him Catnip. He is the most fascinating of my herb friends; having been an ally for thousands of years in cooking, herbal remedies (teas, tonic & poultice) and magic.
His given name is Nepeta cataria, after the city of his birth the city of Nepete, which was part of the Roman Empire. Like our friend Horehound, Catnip traveled with the Roman military as they expanded the Roman Empire. Before trade routes to China brought black tea to Europe, catnip tea was popular, which congers up humorous scenarios considering his sleep inducing effect. He came to North America with the European invasion. At the time he was considered a cure for everything from leprosy to colic, so he was brought to the new world included in the items considered essential for survival. Catnip adapted so well to his new surroundings that it was joked that he took root even when the colonies did not. Today Catnip has naturalized to the point that he can be found in many wildflower books and native plant guides.
Catnip has traditionally been used for its calming effects helping with anxiety, colic, cramping, sleeping and tension headaches. He also softens muscle of the digestive tract, so soothes digestion and heartburn. Because he increases perspiration without raising body temperature he is a good friend to help cool down on hot nights or to break a fever.
Some of you of a certain age may remember Euell Gibbons. He was a friend of Catnip making candied catnip leaves with a mixture of egg whites and lemon juice then sprinkled with sugar to serve as an after dinner digestive aid. Catnip also tenderizes meat and in early times was used in salads and stews. I like the taste of catnip, but some people find him a bit skunky. If you fall into the skunky camp, but want his help with sleep then you could add honey or lemon balm, which is also a calming herb. A mutual friend of Catnip, Rose Bernstein, introduced me to catnip pesto served with feta cheese on toast~so yummy!!
Catnip, like most of us, has a multifaceted personality. While his above ground parts, aka leaves and flowers, calm and relax the below ground, aka roots, was historically chewed by people going into battle or executioners to give them courage. According to British folklore the catnip root when chewed is said to make the most gentle person fierce and quarrelsome. As a menopausal women I decided it would be wise to pass on trying that aspect of my dear friend. Catnip leaves and flowers should also be avoided by pregnant women because of his history of bringing on menstruation. As John K’Eogh wrote in his General Irish Herbal (1735) about Catnip: “It provokes urination and menstruation: it expels the stillborn child, it opens obstructions of the lung and the womb, and is good for internal bruises and shortness of breath. Drunk with salt and honey, it expels worms from the body.” While in modern times we rarely have issues with internal worms that is good to know.
Another stellar attribute of Catnip is that he was found to be ten times more effective than DEET as a mosquito repellent in an Iowa State University study. They also found that Catnip repels cockroaches. Traditionally he has been used to repel fleas and rodents as well. After my hysterectomy, for the first time in my life, I had difficulty sleeping. That is when I became close friends with Catnip, drinking catnip tea nightly so I could sleep. At the same time the mosquitoes stopped biting me. I think the two are related but I can’t prove it, so if you drink catnip tea and stop getting bit please let me know.
Catnip also makes a natural light yellow dye for wool and hair. He is also a hair clarifier, leaving your hair really soft. Love potion and hair treatment recipe~After the catnip and water come to a boil turn off the heat and let it steep with the lid on for five hours, then strain out Catnip. Use the Catnip infused water to coat your hair then cover your head with a plastic shower cap for one hour, then rinse. Catnip likes to help those looking for love and is used in love potions and spells. Be forewarned that love potions are tricky business with free will issues etc. One love potion follows the same process above with a dash of cinnamon added, then sprinkle it on your doorstep for 21 days.
Catnip has been smoked to help asthma symptoms and intertwined in a controversial study published in the 1969 Journal of the American Medical Association, which found that Catnip had similar effects as Marajauna when smoked. Part of the controversy was a case of mistaken identity, since the plant pictured was Marajauna not Catnip. In an attempt to verify the claims of the 1969 study I convinced my buddy, who is not terribly discerning about what he smokes, to smoke some catnip I had grown. He brought it to poker night, so there would be witnesses in case things went badly. After a couple puffs his poker buddies made him put it out because it smelled repulsive, so I can neither confirm or disprove the claims of the 1969 study.
Catnip’s soft grayish green, heart shaped, zigzagged edged leaves have a slight skunky smell. He is two to three feet tall with clusters of little white or pink snapdragon flowers. Catnip should be harvested when he is in bloom to get him at his most potent. In Nebraska I usually get two harvests; one in June and again in the Fall. Catnip dries easily hung upside down in a dark warm place and then stored in a sealed container. After the leaves are stripped off, throw the stems in the fire pit to help keep the mosquitos at bay. Books say he likes sun, but more often than not you’ll find Catnip growing on the edge of a tree line where the birds sitting on the limbs kindly pooped them out.
While we have focused on the many human uses for our friend Catnip, 70% of domestic cats as well as big cats are drawn to catnip. There is an old saying “If you set it, the cats will eat it, if you sow it, the cats won’t know it” meaning if Catnip is grown from seed the cats will ignore the plant, but if you plant a Catnip plant the cats will possibly demolish the plant by rolling in poor Catnip.
Well that is a little about my friend Catnip. I hope now that you have been introduced you will get to know each other better! Lastly the standard herbal disclosure ~ this is for informational purposes and not meant as medical advice.
My Friend Herb~Catnip, by Jill Kuhel
My Friend Herb~Horehound, by Jill Kuhel
I’d Like to Introduce You to My Friend Herb ~ French Tarragon, by Jill Kuhel
