Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Herbs
Origin
World/Pandemic
Southern Europe
Types
242
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
2005
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Rocky areas, Sandy areas, Swamps, Terrestrial, Woodlands
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
11-144-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-1
Sunset Zone
H2
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
40.60 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Pink, Rose, Dark Salmon, Bronze, Tan, Sandy Brown, Sienna, Ivory
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Cold climate, Full Sun, Salt
Deer resistant, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Divison, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Ample Water
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, Phosphate, Requires high amount of nitrogen
Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Bacterial soft rot, Brown Rot, Mealybugs, Spider mites
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Full Sun, Salt
Deer resistant, Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Insects, Mealybugs
Bees
Allergy
-
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects, Indoor Air Purification
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Can be made into a herbal tea, Medicinal oil, Used as insect repellent, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in herbal medicines
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
ENCYCLIA hanburyi
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
Encyclia, Orchid
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
आर्किड
नींबू बाम
In German
Orchidee
Lemonbalm
In French
Orchidée
mélisse
In Spanish
Orquídea
Lemonbalm
In Greek
εγκύκλιο
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
orquídea
Lemonbalm
In Polish
orquídea
Lemonbalm
In Latin
Epidendrum
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Lamiales
Family
Orchidaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Encyclia
Melissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Epidendreae
-
Subfamily
Epidendroideae
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
2424
1
27800
👆🏻