* Please Note: This information is based partly on Traditional Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
Description
Sometimes called catmint, catnep, catrup, catswort, field balm, and nip, this herb, as we all know, is irresistible to cats. They will search it out, roll over and over in it, and ecstatically spread it everywhere. A member of the mint family, catnip, when brewed in tea, is thought to relieve upset stomachs, bronchitis, colic, spasms, flatulence, and acidity.It has also been used to treat hysteria, nervousness, and headaches, and as an enema. Originally native to Europe, catnip is now found wild in many parts of the United States.
As with valerian, a small percentage of people react to catnip as a stimulant rather than a relaxant. There has been talk in some quarters that catnip tea should be drunk sparingly. At least one medicinal-plant expert believes that catnip contains a hallucinogenic substance that affects humans as well as cats. The Food and Drug Administration, however, does not include catnip on its "hit list."
Plant Facts and Growing Tips
Plant: Perennial, hardy to -30°F (-34°C). Its erect, square, branching stem is hairy, with pointed scalloped leaves that have gray or whitish hairs on the lower side. Flowers are white with purple spots and grow in spikes from June to September. The plant's odor is mintlike, bitter, and pungent.
Height: 2 to 3 feet.
Soil: Moist, rich.
Exposure: Sun or partial shade.
Propagation: Sow seeds 14 inch deep in spring or fall, during the third lunar phase. Plants will self-sow. They can also be reproduced by root cuttings, stem cuttings, and layering.
Care: Thin plants to 12 inches apart. They tend to become scraggly, so cut them back after they flower to keep a neat appearance and to prevent them from spreading. If there are cats around, you'll want to protect young seedlings until they are large enough to resist damage by enthusiastic felines, who will roll in them and eat them. It's said that cats won't trouble a seeded bed, but will go for transplanted seedlings. Most growers, however, maintain that their cats don't seem to sense the distinction and get to the catnip no matter how it has been planted. Cultivated near eggplant, tomatoes, turnips, and/or radishes, catnip is said to discourage the flea beetles that attack these plants.
Part Used for Tea: Leaves.
Taste: Aromatic, minty.
How to Brew
By Infusion: Use 1 teaspoon dried herb (or 3 teaspoons fresh herb) with 1 cup boiling water. Make sure the mixture is steeped only and not allowed to boil.
User Group Forum
Share your questions and information with the ZooScape community!
Be the first to post!
Directions
Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 tea bag for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the pot, cover and let steep for 2-4 minutes. Pour into your cup; add milk and sugar to taste.
Iced tea brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 5 tea bags into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea itself. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into the serving pitcher straining the tea bags. Add ice and top-up with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste.
Additional Information
TerraVita is an exclusive line of premium-quality, natural source products that use only the finest, purest and most potent ingredients found around the world. TerraVita is hallmarked by the highest possible standards of purity, potency, stability and freshness. All of our products are prepared with the highest elements of quality control, from raw materials through the entire manufacturing process, up to and including the moment that the bottles or bags are sealed for freshness and shipped out to you. Our highest possible standards are certified by independent laboratories and backed by our personal guarantee.
TerraVita exists to meet and ensure your family's health and wellness without the harmful effects or chemicals and prescription medications. We strive to make all of our products affordable and reliable and are constantly searching the market to maintain our affordability and to look for new ways to serve you and the ones you love. TerraVita has become a trusted household name for many families and can bring you and yours the very best herbal supplements, blends, teas and spices that are on the market today.
TerraVita is packed in childproof, tamper-proof pharmaceutical-grade recyclable containers.
ZooScape is proud to be the exclusive distributor of TerraVita teas, herbs and supplements in the United States, Canada and around the world. Please direct all wholesale and bulk inquiries to Simona Heather at 905-494-1785.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease.
