Nepeta racemosa, the dwarf catnip or raceme catnip, syn. N. mussiniii, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to the Caucasus, Turkey and northern Iran. Growing to tall by wide, it is a herbaceous perennial with aromatic leaves and violet or lilac-blue flowers in summer.
This plant is one of several Nepeta species to be cultivated as an ornamental. It is particularly suitable for the front of a flower border or as groundcover. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit, as has the cultivar âÂÂWalkerâÂÂs LowâÂÂ
Nepetas are notable for their euphoric effect on some domestic cats. It is thought to be caused by the chemical nepetalactone which also has effects on some insects, repelling cockroaches and mosquitoes.
Nepeta racemosa is classified in the genus Nepeta in the Lamiaceae. It has three subspecies. It was scientifically described and named by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in 1785.
Nepeta racemosa has botanical synonyms of the species as a whole or one of its subspecies.
The Latin specific epithet racemosa means âÂÂhaving racemes of flowersâÂÂ.