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Catnip Recipes 21 1 Letter from the Publisher Catnip is an herb that I love to use with kids and people who are highly sensitive to calming nervines. It is a main ingredient in my Calm Kid tea recipe, which is quite popular with my clients and customers at farmers markets. Every time someone unfamiliar with medicinal herbs looks at the ingredients, I get the same reaction: “Catnip! That makes cats crazy! How is it calming?” Well, as it turns out the nervous systems of cats and humans are different, and while the terpenoid nepetalactone makes 70–80% of cats wacky, it is a relaxant and mild sedative to humans. Not only is it a calming nervine that is wonderfully gentle for kids, it is also a well-known digestif and helps to reduce flatulence, cramps, and colic. It is quite gentle, and therefore perfect to use with young children; it’s a must-have for teething, screaming, and spasms related to crying fits. You know the ones, where the child’s body bows backward, their thighs and arms tighten, and they won’t let you soothe or cuddle them into feeling better? Being a part of the mint family, it is quite easy to grow and is often found growing rogue in waste areas, near water runoff, and around the ruins of long-gone homesteads. Many herbalists believe that the plants most common around us are meant to be our most-used medicine. Perhaps that is why catnip is so simple to grow and so widely distributed and used. We all need a little bit of calm in our lives. Green blessings, Amanda 2 Table of Contents Catnip Monograph 5 Catnip Coloring Page 12 The Most Refreshing Nervine 13 Catnip Recipes 21 References 28 Glossary of Herbalism 30 Disclaimer 40 3 Catnip Monograph Amanda Klenner We can all use some calm in our lives—a little extra chill that helps us to relax, recuperate, and find peace in an otherwise hectic world. Catnip is fun, because we know it as a plant that stimulates cats and makes them go wild. Some cats act stoned, while others zoom around endlessly attacking things. Despite its cat-stimulant action, catnip is quite calming for people, and it’s a great herb to have in our arsenal for when we’re feeling out of sorts, bent out of shape, anxious, or afraid. Generally speaking, catnip helps to relax both mind and body, though some say it can be stimulating. I have not noticed it being energetically stimulating to the mind, but it certainly helps to stimulate healthy digestion due to its bitter and minty components. 4 As a member of the mint family, catnip spreads prolifically and unapologetically throughout gardens, open spaces, and wherever else wildlife carry the seeds. It is a short-lived perennial and a wonderful addition to any garden. It’s an herb to have on hand at all times if you have children, suffer from anxiety, experience difficulty sleeping, struggle with digestive issues, or just need a little zen. Although it is quite useful and generally safe for everyone who isn’t currently experiencing a delicate pregnancy, there is little research done on catnip, and very little written about it other than that it helps to calm and soothe children. Occasionally, herbalists mention its uses for nervous stomach or constipation. Thankfully, this common and abundant plant does more than we might think. Although it is gentle, it is quite effective at easing muscle tension and pain and reducing fevers. It has been used traditionally for thousands of years and is still a go-to in communities where medical access is lacking3 and those who still use traditional remedies. Latin name: Nepeta cataria Other common names: catnip, catswort, catmint, catamint Family: Lamiaceae Geographical distribution: Native to southern and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and parts of China. Naturalized in North America, New Zealand, and Northern Europe/Britain 5 Botanical description: Catnip is a short-lived perennial that can be cultivated in USDA zones 3a– 9b. It shares many similar characteristics with its Lamiaceae relatives. It has a square stem that can reach 2–3 feet in height. The stem and leaves have fine hairs, and that downy appearance gives a grey tinge to its otherwise green leaves and stem. Leaves are opposite, oval/triangular/heart- shaped with scalloped edges. Leaves can be up to 3 inches long. Flowers occur on offshoot spike-like terminal clusters, and occur all along these with small two-lipped purple/pink flowers, which are approximately ¼ inch long. It spreads willingly, so if you don’t want the plant to go to seed, pinch off the terminal clusters when the flowers finish blooming. Butterflies and honey bees enjoy catnip flowers for its nectar, be sure not to pinch the tops off too soon! Cultivation: Catnip is easy to grow, and it spreads prolifically like other mint family plants. Sew the seeds outside when the threat of frost has passed, or in pots indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost. 6 It sprouts on average in 5-12 days, depending on soil quality and temperature. It survives in a wide range of soil acidity (mildly alkaline to mildly acidic), does well in all consistencies of soil, and likes full-part sun. It does well when watered but does tolerate short droughts. To grow indoors, use a standard florescent light, or place the plant in an east-facing window. Outdoor plants will probably attract neighborhood cats. Indoor plants will attract house cats, so if you have cats and want to have some catnip for yourself too, be sure and plant a few that are dedicated for cat purposes. Parts used: leaf Herbal actions: antispasmodic, carminative, diaphoretic, emenogogue, relaxing nervine, sedative Energetics: cool, dry, mildly bitter Constituents: acetic acid, a-terpene, alpha- & beta-citral, butyric acid, carvacrol, citronella, dipentene, geraniol, limonene, nepetol, thymol, nepetalactone, nepetalic acid, nerol, tannins, and valeric acid Catnip’s Health Benefits and Uses Antispasmodic Catnip is a wonderful remedy for those who suffer from cramps or muscle spasms, especially in smooth muscle, perhaps due to its high potassium content. Catnip tea is quite helpful when a person has gas, indigestion, nausea, hiccups, or menstrual cramps.5 It is frequently used for infant colic, where the body is bowed in pain, working to relax the spasm, improve the child’s digestion, and calm them. For muscle cramps and sore muscles, it’s especially helpful 7 when a person is bowed or bent in pain from a pressing upward sensation, like something is trying to escape from the abdomen.2 For painful menstrual cramps that leave a person aggressive or irritable, I like to combine catnip in a tincture or tea with motherwort (Leonoris cardiaca) and another mint (for flavor). As a bonus, catnip tea can also soothe menstrual headaches, nausea, and listlessness. Susun Weed recommends smoking catnip in herbal cigarettes to reduce menstrual cramps, “fast fast fast.”10 Carminative Catnip is used commonly to aid digestion. Its bitter constituents help to stimulate digestion, soothe gas pain, and relieve constipation.2,6 This bitter flavor stimulates the release of bile, which improves digestion, and its action of stimulating peristalsis helps the body to rid itself of waste. It’s a great addition to herbal bitters, especially calming bitters for people who are under so much stress that their digestion is off. These people usually get constipated when they’re under a lot of stress. Digestion is controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system and can often be slowed or stopped when a person is in a constant state of stress, where their body is in a sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous-system state. In this state, normal body functions like digestion are abandoned in favor of survival functions. Catnip, since it’s both calming and stimulating to involuntary digestive musculature, can address this multi-layered problem, and it’s quite helpful for those 8 who have a nervous or anxious temperament that causes them gut problems. Catnip, due to its carminative action is also excellent for relieving gassy babies and children, who bow their bodies out in pain because of the pressure buildup.2 Moore says a tincture of equal parts fennel seed and catnip helps to, “sweeten the milk,” referring to breast milk, of course. That combination taken by a mother 20 minutes before nursing would certainly increase milk flow and gently help her baby with colic or gas. Diaphoretic / Febrifuge Catnip is a fabulous remedy for fevers. I like it particularly for children with high fevers,11 as it doesn’t increase the body temperature before it brings the fever down, like some other febrifuge herbs do (elder flower, for instance). It instead cools the body by opening the pores to stimulating sweating. Catnip’s antimicrobial effects might also benefit the body during illness. (These benefits are hardly studied, but catnip has been shown to be effective against Staphylococcus aureus in a laboratory setting.4) Herbalist David Hoffman uses catnip during acute bronchitis to help relax the body, reduce muscle spasms, and decrease fever and coughing.9 You can enjoy the tea or tincture to reduce fevers, or you can dip socks into catnip-infused vinegar diluted with water (10% catnip vinegar) and put the socks on. This is perfect for babies who aren’t taking anything other than breast milk or children who can’t be coaxed into drinking anything when they’re sick. Aviva Romm recommends catnip additionally for hot flashes and night sweats during menopause.7 9 Relaxing Nervine / Sedative This is the best-known use of catnip.
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