Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta

‘Blue Cloud’

BLUE CLOUD CALAMINT

Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta ‘Blue Cloud’
BLUE CLOUD CALAMINT

Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta ‘Blue Cloud’ is just what the label says – clouds of delicate, misty blue flowers.

Mist blue clouds of tiny trumpet flowers with pouting lips

Misty masses of soft blue blooms stud the bush all over.
Each flower is small, but there are so many that the overall effect is lovely.

Long & constant blooming all through the heat

‘Blue Cloud’ constantly makes a blue cloud from mid-summer on, right through till late autumn.

Delicious fresh citrus-mint fragrance

Blooms are delightfully scented.
Plus the equally dainty grey-green tiny leaves are strongly aromatic – with a fresh citrus-mint scent.
So it is a delight to rub and brush the foliage every time you pass by.

Revels in full sun and exposed or windy positions

Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta ‘Blue Cloud’ revels in full sun, and is a great choice for exposed and windy positions.
Though it can also tolerate a little shade for part of the day if necessary, especially if it is in a drier spot.

Perfect for pots of fragrance

‘Blue Cloud’ also does particularly well in pots,
And it is a treat to be able to put a pot-full of wonderful fragrance near your seating area, on the balcony, or by the BBQ area.
Always place ‘Blue Cloud’ where you can enjoy the perfume to the maximum (and it does help keep mozzies and pesky insects at arms length).

Harvest foliage for insect repelling herbal sachets & aromatic pot-pourri

Dried and fresh foliage from Calamintha have a long history of traditional uses.
For making insect repelling herbal sachets; for rubbing on the skin to deter mosquitoes and flies; as a natural deodorant and perfume: and for scenting the home and washed linen.

Traditional herb in Italian cooking

Calamintha foliage (either fresh or dried) has also long been used as flavouring in traditional Italian cooking, particularly in the Tuscany area.
So use it as you would Oregano – but be sparing, as it has a powerful flavour and fragrance – a little gives gusto flavour.

Useful plant in poorer or shallow soils

Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta ‘Blue Cloud’ relishes well drained soils, and is perfectly happy in sandy, gravel or stony soils, as well as average garden loam.
It also enjoys some lime in soils with an acid pH.

Water-wise for gardens on limited water

‘Blue Cloud’ can tolerate some periods of drought once established, as it has a robust underground rhizome which gives the plant some extra storage.
It is native to lands around the Mediterranean, including Turkey and North Africa – so it is a plant well acquainted with heat, dry, and blazing sun.

Frost hardy

Calamintha is also hardy in winter frost, though it is less happy with summer humidity – it likes a dry, hot summer.

Easy to grow & low maintenance

Calamitha plants are virtually pest and disease free, and do not require high fertility.
In fact ‘Blue Cloud’ blooms even more prolifically, and smells even better if it is kept on a lean diet – so do not overfertilize
Trim over after flowering if you want to keep a more formal shape, or certainly you can allow it to grow informally, as it naturally makes a compact and rounded, dense little shrubby shape.

Can also be used as a groundcover in poorer spots & on slopes

Calamintha is not considered invasive, but if left alone it will gently spread by the underground rhizomes. So it is often used for binding hot banks and slopes, or as a hardy groundcover in areas of poor or shallow soil.

Perfect companion plant for under roses or edging a flower bed

Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta ‘Blue Cloud’ is also very useful as an underplanting for rose bushes.
Its misty low clouds disguise the knobbly knees of the roses, while the soft grey-green foliage and gentle flower colour set off the rose blooms beautifully.
It is also used as a companion plant to help deter aphids etc.
And as a misty front edging for beds of taller flowers and bushes – it is a delight at the edge of a path where you can brush iot as often as possible.

Bees & birds adore sipping but nothing eats it

Native Honeyeater birds, native bees, honey bees and other wonderful pollinators all flock to the nectar-rich little blooms.
While months of blooming keep them all well fed over the hot parts of the year.

Rabbit & deer resistant

But rabbits and deer do not usually like the taste of the strongly aromatic foliage.

Quick & easy to grow from seed

Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta ‘Blue Cloud’ is quickly and easily raised from seed if you need a mass planting on a bank or to edge a path.

approximately 45cm. High x 45cm. Wide

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY

Suitable for beginners & kids

Seeds of Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta ‘Blue Cloud’ are very easy and reliable to germinate. 

Sow at any time indoors in punnets, whenever suitable temperatures can be provided.
OR
Scatter directly in the garden during spring.

Sow indoors for quicker and maximum germination: First sow the seeds in a punnet on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Then just lightly sprinkle the seeds with sieved mix or fine vermiculite, but do not bury deeply.
Because these seeds need light to germinate.

Now thoroughly moisten the punnet by standing it in a shallow water bath.
And allowing the moisture to percolate up to the surface of the mix from below.

Then drain and place the punnet in a warm, well-lit position (with good light but no direct sunlight).

Temperatures of 16-22°C approx. are ideal for rapid and optimum germination.

Continue to keep the punnet moist by misting the punnet from a spray water bottle.
Covering the punnet with a clear plastic cover will help to maintain necessary consistent moisture.

Seeds germinate in 7-21 days.
But do not discard the punnet too quickly, as some seeds may germinate later.
Which is normal for hardy Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta ‘Blue Cloud’.

Once the seedlings have developed their first true leaves, prick out of the punnet into small pots and grow on until planting out into the garden.

Seed Count: 100 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).

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