Woolly catmint
Nepeta floccosa

Family: Lamiaceae

What it is like

A herb. It forms clumps. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 50 cm tall. The leaves are greyish and have a lemon scent. They are densely covered with white woolly hairs. The leaves are 1-5 cm long. They are rounded to heart shaped and have obscure teeth. The flowers are pink to blue. They are in dense rings. These are woolly and 2 cm across. The flowers are 8 mm long with a slender flower tube.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It grows on stony slopes. It grows between 2,700-4,400 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Central Asia, Himalayas, India, NW India, Pakistan, Tajikistan

How it is used for food

The leaves are powdered and used with curd. They taste like chilli.

Edible parts

Flowers - spice

How it is grown

In north India it flowers June to September.

Its other names

Local names

Changmagog, Shamalolo, Shangukaram

Synonyms

Nepeta vakhanica Pojark.;