Appearance
Lesser calamint is a perennial shrub, forming a compact mound of shiny, green oregano-like leaves. The flowers are lavender pink. The plant reaches a height of 18 inches. The lesser calamint smells like a cross between mint and oregano. It attracts honeybees and butterflies. Lesser calamint usually grows in the Summer, and well into the Fall. It can become dormant in the winter months, then reblossom in spring. In fall, the flowers fall to the ground and will self-seed. Seedlings will flower in late August. Lesser calamint often grows wild, but can also kept in pots. The average life expectancy of a plant is 3–4 years. It is susceptible to powdery mildew.
Naming
Three subspecies are recognized:⤷ "C. nepeta" subsp. "nepeta" – south central and southern Europe to northern Iran
⤷ "C. nepeta" subsp. "spruneri" – Mediterranean to the Caucasus
⤷ "C. nepeta" subsp. "subisodontum" – east central and south east Europe
Uses
Lesser calamint is commonly used as an herb in Italian cuisine, where it is called "mentuccia", "nipitella" or "nepitella". In southern Italy, it is used in the making of a goat cheese called "cassiedu", giving the cheese a minty taste.Some sources state that "Nepeta nepetella", not lesser calamint, is the nepitella used in cooking.
It's used to aromatize boiled chestnuts along with other herbs in Galicia, Northwest Spain.
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