Lesser calamint is a short-lived herbaceous perennial native to the Mediterranean and parts of Iran and has naturalized in areas of Mexico and the US. In NC, it is primarily found in the Piedmont. It is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae). The specific epithet is in reference to the resemblance of the plant to catnip. Lesser calamint grows upt to 1 and 1/2 feet tall and 2 feet wide and prefers full sun in well-drained, moist to dry sandy, rocky or loamy soils. It is deer and drought-tolerant. Propagation is from seeds. The leaves are pleasantly fragrant when crushed with a minty-lemon scent. The tubular flowers occur in loose clusters of white, pink or lavender from mid to late summer until frost and attract many pollinators. Lesser calamint was selected as the 2021 Perennial Plant of the Year® by the Perennial Plant Association. Use this plant in borders of cottage, drought-tolerant, rock and pollinator gardens. It does well planted along walkways and along patios. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.