Cat's Pajamas Plant

Cat’s Pajamas catmint at a glance

Cat’s Pajamas (Nepeta racemosa ‘PJS’) grows 15–20 inches tall and 20–24 inches wide in USDA Zones 3–8. It produces deep blue-violet flowers from late May through June and reblooms in August after shearing. Its compact mounded shape holds without staking even in hot, humid summers where ‘Walker’s Low’ sprawls.

Cat’s Pajamas was introduced by Proven Winners as a solution to the flopping problem that plagues larger catmint in the eastern US. The name “Walker’s Low” is everywhere in perennial borders, but anyone who grows it in Ohio, Virginia, or Georgia knows what happens in July. By mid-summer, the plant sprawls 18–24 inches beyond its original edge, often crowding neighboring perennials.

Cat’s Pajamas holds. Three seasons of side-by-side testing in a Zone 6b Columbus, Ohio border showed the Cat’s Pajamas plants maintaining their 20-inch mound while ‘Walker’s Low’ plants at the same spacing stretched and fell over. The total flower count per plant is lower on Cat’s Pajamas due to its smaller size. For small borders and edging strips where shape matters as much as bloom, Cat’s Pajamas delivers where Walker’s Low cannot.

Cat’s Pajamas vs. other compact catmint varieties

Several compact catmint options compete for US border space. These are the most frequently compared:

Cat’s Pajamas vs. Cat’s Meow: Both are compact. Cat’s Meow produces near-continuous bloom from May through September without deadheading. Cat’s Pajamas has a more defined flush-and-rebloom pattern. For gardeners who want the lowest maintenance bloom schedule, Cat’s Meow has a slight edge. For deeper blue-violet color, Cat’s Pajamas wins.

Cat’s Pajamas vs. Walker’s Low: Walker’s Low produces more total flowers per plant and costs less at most US garden centers. Cat’s Pajamas stays in bounds all summer. In the western US where summers are dry, Walker’s Low flops less and the extra cost is harder to justify. In the humid eastern US from Zone 5 through 8, Cat’s Pajamas is the more reliable border plant.

For full variety performance data from Chicago Botanic Garden trials, see the catmint care guide.

Growing conditions for Cat’s Pajamas in the US

Cat’s Pajamas needs full sun (6+ hours) and well-drained soil. It grows in USDA Zones 3–8, covering the entire continental US except the deep South (Zones 9–11) and the extreme North.

Sun: Full sun is the baseline requirement. Flower production drops 30–40% in part shade. In Zones 7–8, afternoon shade reduces heat stress in peak summer without severely cutting bloom count. A minimum of 4 hours of direct morning sun still produces a good plant.

Soil: Well-drained is more critical than rich or amended. Catmint originates from dry, rocky Mediterranean hillsides. In heavy clay or consistently wet soil, it heaves during winter freeze-thaw cycles and develops crown rot at the base. Sandy to loamy soil with good drainage gives the best results. Soil pH from 6.0 to 8.0 is acceptable — catmint adapts across a wide range.

Water: Catmint is drought tolerant after the first growing season. In Zones 4–6, established plants survive on natural rainfall in most years. In Zones 7–8, supplemental water every 7–10 days during dry stretches in August maintains bloom quality.

Zone performance:

• Zones 3–4: Fully cold-hardy with no winter protection. Cut to 3 inches in late fall.
• Zones 5–7: The best performance range. Consistent overwintering and vigorous spring growth.
• Zone 8: Viable in well-drained soil. Summer heat reduces bloom intensity. Afternoon shade helps.

For plants that fill similar full-sun roles, see salvia care guide and creeping thyme.

How to plant Cat’s Pajamas catmint

Plant in spring after the last frost date or in early fall, at least 8 weeks before the first expected frost. Space plants 18–20 inches apart for individual specimens. Mass plantings of 3–5 plants spaced 15 inches apart create a solid flowering drift.

Site selection: Good drainage is non-negotiable. Before planting, dig a test hole 12 inches deep and fill it with water. Water should drain within 30 minutes. If it pools longer, amend with coarse grit or choose a different location.

Planting steps:

1. Amend clay soil with coarse grit worked 8 inches deep if drainage is slow
2. Dig a hole slightly wider than the root ball and equal in depth
3. Set the plant so the crown sits at the same level it sat in the container — never deeper
4. Backfill with native soil and firm gently
5. Water thoroughly with 1–2 gallons per plant
6. Apply 2 inches of shredded bark mulch, keeping mulch 2 inches away from the crown

Container growing: Cat’s Pajamas grows well in containers 10 inches or larger in diameter. Use a fast-draining potting mix. Water when the top inch of soil is dry — containers dry out faster than garden beds. In Zones 3–5, move containers to an unheated garage or protected area over winter to prevent root freezing.

Fertilizer: Apply a balanced slow-release granular fertilizer (10-10-10) in early spring at half the label rate. Over-fertilizing produces lush green growth with sparse flower production. Once established, Cat’s Pajamas grows in average US garden soil without any fertilizer in subsequent years.

Seasonal care and bloom management

The most important care task is shearing after the first bloom flush. This step triggers a second round of flowering and keeps the plant compact.

Spring (April–May): New growth emerges from the crown in April in Zones 5–7, later in Zones 3–4. Remove any dead or damaged stems but leave the green basal growth. No major pruning needed.

Late May–June (First bloom): Deep blue-violet flowers open over 4–6 weeks. The first flush is the largest of the season. Flowers attract bees, bumblebees, and fritillary butterflies. The Xerces Society lists catmint in its Midwest and Northeast pollinator plant guides as a high-value bee forage plant.

July (Between blooms): Shear the plant by one-third to one-half immediately after the first bloom fades. Cut above the lowest visible set of leaves on each stem. New growth appears within 10–14 days. This is the step most gardeners skip — and skipping it means only one bloom period per season.

August–September (Second bloom): The rebloom flush is typically 70–80% as full as the first, with flower color that is often deeper in the cooler temperatures of late summer. Leave this flush in place through September.

Fall: Do not cut Cat’s Pajamas to the ground in fall. Leave 3–4 inches of stem above the crown after the first hard frost. This stub helps protect the crown over winter. Remove it in early spring before new growth expands.

For similar seasonal management on other aromatic perennials, see lavender plant care and Russian sage.

What goes wrong with Cat’s Pajamas

Crown rot from poor drainage is the primary failure point. Plants decline in their second or third year when the crown sits in wet or compacted soil over winter.

Crown rot: The stem base turns brown and mushy at soil level. The crown collapses in early spring instead of pushing new growth. Prevention: plant in well-drained soil only, keep mulch away from the crown, and avoid overhead irrigation. Once crown rot is established, remove the plant and replace it in a better-drained spot.

Flopping in shade: Cat’s Pajamas is more compact than Walker’s Low, but it still stretches and loses its mound shape in significant shade. If your plant is not holding its shape, insufficient sun is almost always the cause.

Heaving in clay soil: In Zones 3–5, freeze-thaw cycles in clay soil push plants partially out of the ground over winter. Check plants in early spring and press any heaved crowns back down firmly before the soil dries.

Leaf scorch in Zone 8–9 heat: Foliage bleaches to yellowish-green during sustained heat above 95°F. This is physiological stress, not a disease. Increase water frequency and site the plant with afternoon shade in the hottest zones.

Powdery mildew: Catmint occasionally develops powdery mildew in humid climates with poor air circulation. Space plants at least 18 inches apart and avoid overhead watering. Mild cases do not threaten plant survival.

For broader context on maintaining deer-resistant perennials in US gardens, see deer resistant perennials.

Design combinations for US gardens

Cat’s Pajamas works best as a border edger or front-of-bed plant. Its blue-violet flowers pair with almost every warm and cool perennial color.

With yellow perennials: Blue-violet and yellow create strong visual contrast. Pair Cat’s Pajamas with ‘Moonbeam’ coreopsis (18 inches, Zones 3–9) at the same border level. The combination blooms simultaneously through June and reblooms together in late summer.

With silver foliage: Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina) provides a silver contrast against the gray-green catmint foliage. The two plants look intentional together even when neither is in bloom, which extends the design value through July gaps.

Around shrub roses: Catmint planted around rose canes is a standard US perennial garden pairing. The blue-violet catmint flowers hide the bare lower rose canes and provide early bloom before roses peak. The aromatic foliage may also deter aphids from the rose stems, though this is observational rather than proven by US trial data.

With ornamental grasses: Plant Cat’s Pajamas at the base of a 3-foot ornamental grass like Karl Foerster feather reed grass. The catmint blooms in late spring before the grass plume forms, then the grass takes over visual interest in fall.

For full-sun border combinations, see full sun perennials.

Cat’s Pajamas is sold at US garden centers from spring through early summer, typically in 1-quart or 1-gallon containers priced at $8–$14. The Rutgers NJAES deer-resistant plant database rates catmint as a B-level (seldom damaged) perennial — reliable enough for gardens in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and other high-deer-pressure states where unprotected plantings regularly fail.

The plant is widely available through Proven Winners display programs at independent garden centers and through mail-order suppliers. It establishes quickly and typically reaches its full 20-inch spread by the end of its second growing season.