PL. —Nepeta racemosaBotanical illustration — drop image
Nepeta racemosa

Catmint 'Walker's Low'

SpringSummerFall
4a8bHardiness zone
Peak bloom windowZone 6b · frost-offset weeks
Winter
Not in bloom
Spring
Peak bloom
Summer
Peak bloom
Fall
Not in bloom
Peak bloom
In bloom
Background

Despite the name, 'Walker's Low' isn't a dwarf — it was found growing at Walker's Low, a garden in Kent, and it's actually one of the larger catmints, building into a wide, billowing mound roughly twice the footprint of 'Mussinii' before it ever opens a flower. Sturdy stems hold the violet-blue spikes upright through summer storms without staking, which is unusual for a catmint this size. It was named Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association in 2007 and carries the RHS Award of Garden Merit, largely for that combination of scale and reliability.

It also just keeps going: where most catmints need a hard midseason shear to rebloom, 'Walker's Low' will flower nearly continuously from late spring into fall with only light grooming, and it shrugs off summer humidity better than older cultivars, which makes it a stronger choice than 'Mussinii' in muggy climates. Give it room — at this size it reads more as a soft flowering shrub in a border than an edging plant. Divide every three or four years once the center starts to open up.

Care guide
SunFull sun to part shade
WaterLow
SoilWell-drained, average to poor
Spacing24–36 in
Height18–24 in
Zone4a – 8b
Frost hardy
Seasonal tasks
spring
sowPlant container-grown transplants or rooted divisions into well-drained soil two weeks before last expected frost; catmint tolerates light frost without protection.
watchMonitor young transplants for cat damage; use wire cloches or short stakes and netting around plants until foliage has hardened off.
summer
sowDivide established clumps by lifting and separating the root mass with a sharp spade; replant divisions at original depth and water in thoroughly.
cutLight grooming keeps it blooming nearly continuously; only shear the whole mound back hard if flowering stalls or it starts to flop open.
watchCheck foliage for powdery mildew during humid stretches with poor air circulation; thin overcrowded clumps and avoid overhead irrigation.
fall
cutCut stems back to within two to three inches of the ground after hard frost, or leave them standing and cut in early spring before new growth emerges.
Common problems

Powdery mildew

Symptoms

White or grey powdery coating on leaves — usually starting on older growth in humid conditions or when nights cool.

Treatment

Improve air circulation by thinning plants. Apply neem oil or potassium bicarbonate spray at first sign. Avoid overhead watering.

Root rot

Symptoms

Plants wilt, yellow, and stunt even in moist soil; lower stems and roots turn brown, soft, and mushy and the plant may collapse. Most common in heavy, wet, or poorly drained ground.

Treatment

Improve drainage and stop overwatering, and never plant too deep. Lift and destroy badly affected plants along with the soil around the roots. Grow in raised or free-draining beds to prevent it returning.