Some state that Nepeta nepetella, not lesser calamint, is the nepitella used in cooking. The lesser calamint smells like a cross between mint and oregano. Lesser calamint often grows wild, but can also kept in pots. Lesser calamint usually grows in the Summer, and well into the Fall. Lesser calamint is a perennial shrub, forming a compact mound of shiny, green oregano-like leaves.