Life Span
Annual or Biennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Herbs
Origin
South America, Micronesia, New Zealand
Southern Europe
Types
Silver pampas grass, Uruguayan pampas grass, Purple pampas grass
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
255
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lawn
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-114-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11 - 7
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 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
304.80 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
182.88 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Pink, Violet, White hair and some brown spots on margins and at tips
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Tan
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long and slender with very sharp edges
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Fall
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Deer resistant, Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Needs watering once a week, Reduce water once established, Water more frequently during periods of extreme drought
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune in late winter, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Salt
Deer resistant, Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Rats, Snakes
Bees
Allergy
Itchiness, Skin cuts
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
Insignificant
Insignificant
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Fibre, Food for animals, Used in paper industry
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
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
CORTADERIA
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
Pampas Grass
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
Pampas grass
नींबू बाम
In German
Pampasgrass
Lemonbalm
In French
herbe de la pampa
mélisse
In Spanish
cortaderas
Lemonbalm
In Greek
γρασίδι Πάμπα
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
grama de Pampas
Lemonbalm
In Polish
Pampas trawy
Lemonbalm
In Latin
Pampas herba
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Vascular plant
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Lamiales
Family
Poaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Cortaderia
Melissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Danthonieae
-
Subfamily
Danthonioideae
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
254
1
27800
👆🏻