Overview

Calamintha nepeta 'Blue Cloud' is a bushy perennial in the genus Clinopodium, part of the Lamiaceae family, with semi evergreen foliage. Calamintha nepeta 'Blue Cloud' grows best in full sun, and tolerates loam soils and neutral pH. Its UK hardiness is rated H5. Suggested uses include cottage and informal garden, gravel garden, wildlife gardens, flower borders and beds and ground cover. It is native to Southern Europe.

About

Calamintha nepeta 'Blue Cloud' is a semi-evergreen perennial in the Lamiaceae that forms a well-branched mound of foliage. It favours a south-facing, sheltered site in well-drained neutral loam and flowers from July to September. The blooms are lavender-pink and are valued in borders and wildlife plantings. It is sold under the Clinopodium grouping in many collections.

About the genus

Clinopodium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, in the subtribe Menthinae. Clinopodium belongs to a large and complex group of genera including many New World mints such as Hedeoma, Monarda, and Pycnanthemum, and this group is in turn a sister clade to Mentha. The genus name Clinopodium is derived from the Latin clinopodion, from the Ancient Greek κλινοπόδιον (klinopódion), from κλίνη (klínē) "bed" and πόδιον (pódion) "little foot".

Wikipedia contributors, "Clinopodium", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Clinopodium

In the garden

Calamintha nepeta 'Blue Cloud' is a semi-evergreen member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), placed in the genus Clinopodium in recent treatments. It produces a compact, well-branched habit of foliage with a summer display of lavender-pink flowers from July to September. Plant it in full sun on a south-facing, sheltered site where the soil is a free-draining loam with a neutral pH. The plant prefers well-drained conditions and will not do well in waterlogged ground. Rated H5, it is classed as hardy for UK gardens when given the protected, sunny aspect stated above. Use Calamintha nepeta 'Blue Cloud' across cottage and informal borders, gravel gardens, wildlife areas, and as a low ground cover or bed filler. Its flowering period fits neatly into summer borders and it integrates well with perennial mixes. Locate it where its summer blooms can be seen and accessed by pollinators; planting in groups or along the front of a border helps the flowering display read as a coherent block of colour. Flowers from July to September provide a reliable nectar source for summer insects.

Growing conditions

Best soil and position for Clinopodium

Sunlight

Full sun

Soil type

Loam

Soil pH

Neutral

Soil moisture

Well-drained

Aspect

South-facing

Exposure

Sheltered

UK hardiness

H5

Plant details

Calamintha nepeta 'Blue Cloud' size, habit and characteristics

Plant type

Perennial

Habit

Bushy

Foliage

Semi evergreen

Suggested uses

Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Wildlife gardens, Flower borders and beds, Ground cover

Native to

Southern Europe

Fragrance

Minty, aromatic

Care notes

Pruning and caring for Calamintha nepeta 'Blue Cloud'

Cultivation

Prefers well-drained soil in full sun; avoid waterlogging; drought tolerant once established

Pruning

Cut back after flowering to maintain shape and encourage fresh growth

Propagation

Seed, Division

Pest resistance

Generally pest-free

Disease resistance

May be susceptible to powdery mildews

Frequently asked questions