Common Name: Jing Jie

General Information

Nepeta tenuifolia is an annual plant with much-branched stems; it can grow around 30 - 100cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of an essential oil. It is cultivated for its medicinal uses in parts of China[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - central and eastern China, Korea, Japan.

Habitat

Sloping forest margins, valleys; at elevations from 500 - 2,700 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.30 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Nepeta species generally grow best in a sunny position and a well-drained soil. Many are found in poor soils in the wild, and have a bushier growth habit in more fertile soils[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - raw or cooked[, 177 179]. A good savoury, it is used to flavour foods[]. (As Nepeta japonica)

Medicinal

Jing Jie is an aromatic and warming herb that is particularly valued in Traditional Chinese Medicine for its diaphoretic properties[]. . It is taken to alleviate skin conditions such as boils and itchiness[]. Because it induces sweating it is used in the treatment of fevers and chills and as a remedy for measles[]. I is often combined with Mentha haplocalyx[].
Used in Chinese medicine in the treatment of haemorrhages, especially post-natal bleeding and excessive menstruation, colds, measles and nettle rash[].

Other Uses

An essential oil is obtained from the plant[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in the autumn, in situ if possible. Germination of spring sown seed can be erratic[]. The seed is best sown in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.