Herb latin name: Nepeta tenuifolia japonica


Family: Labiatae



Edible parts of Nepeta tenuifolia japonica:

Young leaves - raw or cooked. A good savoury, it is used to flavour foods.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
30 cm
(11 3/4 inch)

Habitat of the herb:

Sloping forest margins, valleys, 500-2700 m. Gansu, Guizhou, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan and cultivated in Fujian, Jiangsu, Yunnan, Zhejiang

Propagation of Nepeta tenuifolia japonica:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame in the autumn. The germination of spring sown seed can be erratic, it is best sown in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. If you have sufficient freshly ripe seed then it is well worth trying a sowing outdoors in situ in the autumn. Division in spring or autumn. Very easy, large divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer. Basal cuttings in late spring or early summer. Harvest the shoots with plenty of underground stem when they are about 8 - 10cm above the ground. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.

Cultivation of the herb:

Sloping forest margins, valleys, 500-2700 m. Gansu, Guizhou, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan and cultivated in Fujian, Jiangsu, Yunnan, Zhejiang

Medicinal use of Nepeta tenuifolia japonica:

None known

Known hazards of Nepeta tenuifolia japonica:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.