Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Europe, Asia
North America, United States, Northwestern United States, Alaska, California, Canada
Habitat
Dry areas, Roadsides, stream banks, Stream side, Waste areas
Lowland evergreen rainforest
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-7
4-7
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Clump-Forming
Pyramidal
Flower Color
White, Lavender
Yellow, Red, Coral
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Sandy Brown
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Gray Green, Gray
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Gray Green, Gray
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Gray Green, Gray
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Leaf Shape
Arrowhead
Ovate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Early Spring
Tolerances
Drought, Dry soil
Maritime exposure, Salt water
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Layering, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Water when soil is dry
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune in spring, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
fertilize every 2-3 weeks while growing, fertilize in growing season
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Caterpillars, Leaf Hoppers, Nematodes, Spider mites
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Frost
Maritime exposure, Salt water
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fragrant Bark/Stem
Yes
No
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Attracts
Flying insects, Insects, Spider Mites
Insects
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Headache, Stomach pain, Vomiting
-
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Skin Problems
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shadow Tree
Medicinal Uses
Arthritis, Cold, constipation, Fever, Insomia, Migraines, Upset stomach
Anodyne, Appetizer, Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Flowers, Inner Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Air freshner, Decoration Purposes, Employed in herbal medicine, Making Perfumes, Making Shampoo, Making Sweet Scented Oil, Medicinal oil, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as a dye, used for making charcoal, Used for making informal hedge
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
NEPETA cataria
ALNUS rubra
Common Name
Cat Nip, Catnip
Oregon Alder, Red Alder
In German
Katzenminze
rot-Erle
In French
cataire
aulne rouge
In Spanish
Catnip
aliso rojo
In Greek
Είδος δυόσμου
κόκκινη σκλήθρα
In Portuguese
catnip
amieiro vermelho
In Polish
Kocimiętka
czerwony olcha
In Latin
catnip
red alnus
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Family
Lamiaceae
Betulaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Importance of Catnip and Red Alder
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Catnip and Red Alder. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Catnip and Red Alder as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Catnip is Arthritis, Cold, constipation, Fever, Insomia, Migraines and Upset stomach whereas of Red Alder is Anodyne, Appetizer and Astringent. Catnip has beauty benefits as follows: while Red Alder has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Catnip vs Red Alder
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Catnip vs Red Alder and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Catnip are Avoid during Pregnancy, Headache, Stomach pain and Vomiting whereas of Red Alder have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Catnip has no showy fruits and Red Alder has showy fruits. Also Catnip is not flowering and Red Alder is not flowering . You can compare Catnip and Red Alder facts and facts of other plants too.