Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southern Europe
-
Types
Melissa officinalis
Cactus
Number of Varieties
5-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Loamy soils, Rocky areas, Sandhills
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
-
Sunset Zone
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
12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm8.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Succulent
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Cuttings, Hardwood Cuttings, Semi-hardwood cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
-
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
-
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
-
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Medicinal oil, Used as insect repellent, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in herbal medicines
Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
-
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
Pachycereus pringlei
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Cardon, Mexican giant cardon, elephant cactus
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
Cardon
In German
Lemonbalm
Cardon
In French
mélisse
Cardon
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
Cardon
In Greek
Lemonbalm
Cardon
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
Cardon
In Polish
Lemonbalm
Cardon
In Latin
CITRAGO
Cardon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Lamiaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Melissa
Pachycereus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Pachycereeae
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
Cactoideae
Number of Species
412
1
27800
👆🏻