Clinopodium nepeta 'Montrose White'
Common name(s): lesser calamint
Description: perennial; a compact, sterile selection named by Mike Yanny of Johnson’s Nursery in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. Aromatic foliage and hundreds of small white flowers constantly blooming from spring until the first hard frost (usually mid November in our area). One of the best pollinator plants in our selection. Flowers sometimes take on a blue sheen in autumn.
Height: to 18 in. Spread: to 18 in.
Position: full sun and well-draining soil
Uses: ornamental, culinary- in Italian and Corsican cuisine
Winter Hardiness: to 0 F and below
Drought: adapted to 4 months of summer drought
Care: no special care needed - can be pruned or cleaned up in spring to promote basal growth
Notes: origin notes from Johnson's Nursery Website (retrieved 26 November 2024): "Back in 1999, our Johnson’s Nursery head propagator, Mike Yanny, became aware of this outstanding perennial. His wife, Lori, had purchased it from Nancy Goodwin at Montrose Nursery. Mike, although especially interested in woody plants, recognized that this perennial plant was exceptional. Mike made a phone call to Nancy and told her that he thought her Calamintha was one of the best perennials he had ever seen and went so far as to say that he thought it should be Perennial Plant of the Year*. Nancy gave Mike approval to add the cultivar name ‘Montrose White’ to clarify its clonal identity."