Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Shrub
Origin
Southern Europe
Europe, Morocco, Western Asia
Types
Melissa officinalis
-
Number of Varieties
5700
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Boggy areas, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Mountain Slopes, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-95-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
8-5
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
A1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm10.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
White, Red, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
Ammonium Nitrate
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Armillaria mellea, Chlorosis, Crown rot, Powdery mildew, Root rot, Rust, Verticillium Wilt
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought, Dry soil, Shade areas, Wet Site
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single, Double, Semi-Double
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Bees, Butterflies, Moths
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Skin inflammation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Food for animals, Food for insects
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Arthritis, Bladder Infection, Colic, Diarrhea, Gout, Inflammation, Kidney Stones, Rheumatism, Stomach pain, Urinary tract problems
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Flowers
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Medicinal oil, Used as insect repellent, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in herbal medicines
Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Container, Cutflower, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
CALLUNA vulgaris
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Heather, Common heather, Ling
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
हीथ
In German
Lemonbalm
Heidekraut
In French
mélisse
bruyère
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
brezo
In Greek
Lemonbalm
ερείκη
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
urze
In Polish
Lemonbalm
wrzos
In Latin
CITRAGO
Heather
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Ericales
Family
Lamiaceae
Ericaceae
Genus
Melissa
Calluna
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Ericeae
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
Ericoideae
Number of Species
4860
1
27800
👆🏻