Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Herbs
Origin
Europe, Asia
Southern Europe
Types
Pennisetum alopecuroides
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
85
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Grassland
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-84-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-1
Sunset Zone
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24
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
30.50 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Salt
Deer resistant, Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Ample Water
Moderate
In Winter
Moderate
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune to control growth
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Requires high amount of nitrogen
Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Wet Site
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
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees
Allergy
Asthma, conjunctivitis, Rhinitis
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for insects, Wildlife
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
cultivated as pasture or hay crop, Food for animals, Food for insects
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
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Groundcover
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
ALOPECURUS
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
Foxtail Grass
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
Foxtail Grass
नींबू बाम
In German
Foxtail Grass
Lemonbalm
In French
Foxtail Grass
mélisse
In Spanish
Hierba de cola de zorra
Lemonbalm
In Greek
αλωπέκουρου Grass
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
grama de foxtail
Lemonbalm
In Polish
ber trawy
Lemonbalm
In Latin
panicum Grass
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Lamiales
Family
Poaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Alopecurus
Melissa
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
124
1
27800
👆🏻