GAPers who are also cat people will be thrilled to know that Catnip (Nepeta cataria L.) grows in abundance along the GAP. A native of southern and eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Inner Asia, Catnip was probably introduced to the New World by early European settlers and is now found in nearly all of temperate North America. It prefers human-disturbed niches like old rail-bed shoulders and trailside verges—making the GAP an ideal habitat. It does not grow in forests along the GAP, preferring areas without a leaf canopy.
Catnip belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae, which includes other GAP plants like Bee Balm, Wild Basil, and Purple Deadnettle. It was one of the many species described by the ubiquitous Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1753 work Species Plantarum, as indicated by the L. in the scientific name. The genus name Nepeta probably derives from Nepete, an ancient Etruscan city north of Rome, once the center of Etruscan civilization before Rome’s rise. The species name cataria is Latin for “pertaining to cats—a fitting enough name for a plant whose entire common identity is built around feline attraction.
So what is the deal with cats and Catnip? The main attraction is nepetalactone, a volatile chemical compound found in its leaves, stems, and seed pods. When a cat sniffs, licks, chews, or rubs against the plant, nepetalactone is released and binds to olfactory receptors in the cat’s nose, triggering a cascade of signals to the brain regions governing emotion and behavior. Exposure to nepetalactone raises beta-endorphin levels in cats, the same effect activated by opioid drugs in mammals. The cats are literally getting high on this stuff. The typical high lasts 10–15 minutes, after which cats enter a temporary recovery period of roughly thirty minutes to an hour, after which they can get high again. Up to 80% of cats are affected by Catnip; some have no reaction at all. Kittens typically show no reaction until they reach sexual maturity, around 3–6 months of age.]
The leaves and flowering tops of Catnip are edible for humans and have a long history as a beverage herb: Catnip tea was a common daily drink in Britain before Chinese tea became widely available. Fresh or dried leaves lend a lemony-mint flavor to sauces, soups, and cooked dishes, though the plant is generally considered too pungent and bitter to eat raw in quantity. Catnip has one of the longer continuous medicinal records among GAP-corridor plants. Roman writers recorded its use as a tea for headaches, colds, and digestive complaints, and legend holds that Roman soldiers chewed Catnip leaves before battle to steady their nerves and boost courage. Colonial settlers who conveyed Catnip to North America used it for coughs, fevers, infant colic, and sedation of frazzled nerves. Modern pharmacological research describes its antifungal, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Nepetalactone, the active ingredient in Catnip, is also an effective insect repellent. Cats will roll on live Catnip to transfer the compound to their fur, where it functions as a self-applied mosquito repellent. Some authorities claim that the essential oil of Catnip is as effective as the well-known repellent DEET on humans. For GAPers, this gives Catnip a practical field use: crushed fresh leaves rubbed on skin or clothing may offer a genuine, if short-lived, defense against trailside mosquitoes.
Few GAP corridor plants carry as rich a magical history as Catnip. Its earliest documented mystical associations trace to ancient Egypt, where cats were sacred and Catnip became linked to Bast, goddess of pleasure, fertility, home, and protection. Egyptians reportedly burned Catnip leaves in rituals to draw closer to the gods and used it in embalming practices, cementing its connection to the afterlife. Greek and Roman writers carried the association forward, treating Catnip as protective and love-drawing—thought to ward off danger and evil spirits, bring good fortune, and encourage fertility and affection. The richest chapter of magical use comes from the Middle Ages in Europe, when Catnip became deeply entangled with witchcraft folklore specifically because of its bond with cats, which were themselves widely believed to be witches’ familiars. Folklore held that witches used Catnip in potions and spells, that the herb could ward off evil spirits, and—more fancifully—that it could even help a witch fly (see Mullein below). Dried Catnip was also tucked under pillows to induce vivid dreams and sharpen psychic power, and it appeared in love potions meant to attract passion and affection.
At the very least GAPers who are also cat people may want to take a few leaves home as gifts for their felines.
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| Young catnip |
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| Young catnip |
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| Catnip in flower |
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| Catnip flowers |
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| Catnip flowers |
