Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta 2021 perennial plant of the year

Like a cloud of confetti, tiny white flowers (sometimes touched with pale blue) appear from early summer to fall on this plant. Undemanding and dependable, it provides the perfect foil for other summer bloomers and foliage. These marvelous characteristics convinced the Perennial Plant Association to take notice and name Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta the 2021 Perennial Plant of the Year.

While durable and pest-free, Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta also checks two important boxes for gardeners: bees and other pollinators work the flowers throughout the summer and the aromatic foliage (think: mint) is deer-resistant.

This full-sun perennial has a low mounding or bushy habit, ideal for the front of the border, in rock gardens or along rock walls, as well as in containers. Or use it to underplant leggy perennials such as Echinacea. In the landscape it grows 12-15 inches tall and 12-24 inches wide. It’s hardy in Zones 5-9 and grows best in full sun.