With the Halloween spirit of last month, a lot of my “fun fact Fridays” ended up deadly. So, I thought I’d flip the script this time and write about a plant that’s actually considered a cure: catnip!
According to herbal lore, catnip cures more than just cats’ boredom. While its compound nepetalactone creates euphoria in some cats, catnip generally has the opposite effect in humans. Catnip is considered a mild sedative and, in conjunction with chamomile, shows up in some “sleepy time” teas. In some places, like Appalachia, catnip has been used to treat colds, upset stomachs, and any anxiety that comes along with being sick.
So if the upcoming holidays bring you stress — or perhaps cause some over-eating! — here’s another tool in your arsenal. You can even eat it in soups and drink catnip liquors. Just be sure to avoid it if you’re pregnant!
On the folklore side of things, catnip is rumored to bring prosperity and increase your chances of finding love. I had no idea that when I started growing catnip for my cat, it would also attract good luck for me . . . I suppose that’s another thing to be thankful to my kitty for! 😉
Selected Sources
Check out Drugs.com for a brief overview of uses and warnings: https://www.drugs.com/npc/catnip.html
Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Third edition. Woodbury, Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications, 2020.
Willoughby, Jean. Nature’s Remedies: An Illustrated Guide to Healing Herbs. San Francisco: Tandem Books, 2016.
