Calamintha 'Blue Cloud'

Calamintha nepeta 'Blue Cloud': A Mist of Soft Blue and Summer Movement

Light and airy, Calamintha 'Blue Cloud' creates a shimmering haze of soft lavender-blue flowers that bloom from early summer into fall. Its fine, mint-scented foliage forms a tidy mound, while countless tiny blooms attract pollinators and provide a gentle, cloud-like effect in the sunny garden. Highly drought-tolerant and beloved by bees, this perennial thrives in lean soils and dry conditions, offering both long-lasting colour and effortless charm in naturalistic and Mediterranean-inspired plantings.

Plant Characteristics:

• Height: 30–40 cm
• Spread: 40–50 cm, forming a soft, rounded mound
• Flower Colour: Pale lavender-blue
• Flowering Period: Early summer to fall
• Foliage: Small, aromatic, grey-green leaves; fine and textured
• Sunlight Requirements: Full sun
• Soil Requirements: Average to dry, well-drained soil; thrives in poor soils

Uses and Benefits: Calamintha 'Blue Cloud' is ideal for sunny borders, pollinator gardens, gravel plantings, and herbaceous edges where texture, fragrance, and long bloom time are valued. Its low, mounding form softens hard lines, fills gaps between other perennials, and contributes to a relaxed, meadow-like feel. Exceptionally hardy and deer-resistant, it is both practical and ornamental—excellent for sustainable, low-maintenance garden designs.

Companion Plants: Pair with the golden blooms and upright texture of Sedum 'Czar's Gold', the deep violet spires of Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote Blue', and the icy blue tufts of Festuca 'Elijah Blue' for a sun-loving, drought-tolerant planting full of colour contrast and soft movement.

Care Instructions: Plant in full sun with sharply drained soil. Water regularly during the first season to establish, then only during prolonged drought. Trim back after flowering flushes to maintain shape and encourage rebloom. Cut back to the base in early spring as new growth emerges.

History: A selected form of Calamintha nepeta, 'Blue Cloud' is prized for its softer bloom tone and refined growth habit. Long used in herbal and ornamental plantings across Europe, this cultivar brings enhanced flower power and consistent garden performance to Canadian landscapes.

Final Thoughts: With a haze of blue blossoms and a whisper of mint, Calamintha 'Blue Cloud' brings elegance, ease, and essential pollinator value to sunny spaces—proof that delicacy and durability can go hand in hand.