What Is the Difference Between Catnip & Wheatgrass?

Visual Characteristics

• Catnip is a leafy plant; wheatgrass is a grassy plant. Catnip has distinct stems and leaves, while wheatgrass grows blade-like foliage. Catnip grows up to 3 feet tall with heart-shaped, toothy leaves. The foliage is gray-green in color, and looks almost dusty. White and purple flowers bloom on the plant from July to September. Wheatgrass is a perennial, leafy turf grass that grows up to 3 1/2 feet tall. Wheatgrass has a thick, dense texture, but it is not a common lawn grass. The grass is a vivid, bright shade of green.

Edible Characteristics

• Wheatgrass is perhaps best-known as an holistic ingredient. Rich in vitamins and minerals, wheatgrass may be ingested by humans as a nutrition source. Catnip attracts cats, and they may eat the leaves of the plant, but it is not considered to be a valuable source of nutrition for animals or humans. Both plants are edible to humans, but wheatgrass is a much richer source of vitamins and nutrients. Wheatgrass is also used as a pasture grass for animals.

Cultivation

• Catnip is not native to North America, but it has become naturalized and may be found growing outside cultivated environments. Catnip grows best in a site where it receives full sunlight. Plant catnip seeds in light, sandy soil in fall or spring. Like wheatgrass, catnip is a perennial that grows every spring following winter dormancy. Many perennial wheatgrasses grow natively in the United States through the spring, summer and early fall. Wheatgrass grows in a range of soil types, but ideally should be grown in heavy, moist soil.

Differences in the Garden

• Catnip emits a strong odor that cats love, but it may mask the scents of nearby aromatic plants in the garden. Many gardeners use this to their advantage, as catnip repels harmful insects that may cause damage to other plants or create discomfort in the garden. Catnip's odor keeps mosquitoes away. Wheat grass has very little odor to it and no inherent pest-repellent properties. Many grass-eating animals may feast on wheatgrass, and farmers often use it as pasture.