Although most people think first of the way that cats go crazy from the aroma of the flower spikes of catnip, it’s also a wonderful herbal medicine. But it has the opposite effect on people - it’s a relaxing nervous system tonic. Catnip tea is also safe for kids and nursing moms.
Catnip grows in a cluster of leaves a few feet tall before it sends up its white flower spikes another couple of feet in the air. It likes sun and rich, moist soil but can tolerate part shade.