I should know this, looks like a salvia, but nothing I've ever grown before. I think it came in with a mixed batch of seeds.....right now a zillion people are jumping up saying, "Oh, I know what THAT is...." GOOD! Thank You! What is it?




Hmmmm...second thought..are there possibly any lavenders that look like that? I'm maybe the only person who doesn't care for lavenders so I haven't paid much attention to them, but maybe have seen one like that?

Okay, went back out and gave it a good pinch and I would say, by scent alone, that it's neither a lavender nor a salvia. It has a light, indistinct scent and made it through a 20-some degree Winter that killed several other plants around it.

Nepeta tuberosa is what comes to mind. I have three here but I don't have a photo of them and none in the db yet either.

Found it on Google!

I found this from out April replacements for the ones we lost. Looks quite different at this stage.

I'm with Pirl.

And Pirl is with me.

Sorry! I didn't mean to leave you out.

Yes, I'm with HS!

Well, interesting...I did have nepeta tuberosa before...got it from Annie and it did not live long, though I did collect seed...but it did not look like this either.....huh. I always figure that no plant is a loss if I manage to get seed from it, so I'm glad to have this again. I did not bring any seed up here with me that was labeled as such, but I do have some unlabeled seeds in zip bags. What I would have to deduce from this is that the plant is much happier in this climate than it was in sub-tropical SoCal...the spot it is growing in, I've learned after this past Winter, is the coldest spot on the property. When my Vine Maple that is also planted there finally gets large, it will give some protection to that corner, but......this past Winter, in that area, I lost two small dodoneas, two digiplexis, two echium vulgares, and possibly one coleonema. I'm holding out hope that the coleonema recovers...two other coleonemas in the same spot were not killed.

I will need to check and see if the nepeta tuberosa attracts cats as do the other nepetas. I love catmints, but have not sown or planted any since I'm already overrun with cats here....LOL...

Thank You!

No need to blush! We're all in agreement...pretty much...somewhat.

Well, I thank you ALL! Another mystery solved.....

Now I cannot WAIT for it to flower and get seeds! This seedling was actually in a pot of a seedling dodonea that I brought up with me and the dodonea that it's planted with was apparently winter-killed...unless it comes back. I have 5 large dodoneas that were unaffected by the Winter frosts, but several young ones that were hit.

I am so thrilled to have this plant with me still.....

Ours never live long here either and was told their not long lived. They died out during the drought two years ago so who knows. They have a tuber that should have gotten them through that. I was able to get three more last month from Annie's and thats the photo I included here. The ferrel cats don't seem to bother that one here....but they have already wallowed in two nepeta. I wish it would seed about here. It's a great plant.

Well, this one is very vigorous and the one I had in SoCal was not at all, it seemed to live long enough to flower once and I made sure I got seeds....so I'm wondering if it does not like heat really, it sure does like it here so I'm quite hopeful that it will do really well and I'll sow and grow a lot of them...quite tickled!

I had the Walkers low, here. It lasted about three years, but the cats flattened it.

I know...I love the Walker's, but I know I can't plant it, I have about 10 cats who frequent my yard....

Now, for what it's worth....that seedling dodonea came up here with me 2 1/2 years ago...and it was only this last Fall that I planted it out and there had been no sign of that nepeta until it went into the ground....then it appeared. So, did that seed wait until conditions were right to germinate...after all that time?

It's native to Spain, Portugal and Sicily. Should be happy here. Haven't found any info on longevity. I'll collect some seeds this time and try to grow more of it. Ohh.. that makes sense about the seed being in you Dodonea. Some mediterranean seeds last through years even decades of drought.

Well, this one will flower this year and I will definitely be collecting seeds...LOL..I collect seed from EVERYTHING...and will have it available for any who wish seeds....