Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Herbs
Origin
South America
Southern Europe
Types
Pensacola, Argentine, Tifton 9
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
25
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Wild
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-114-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
12-1
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
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
Mat-forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
10.20 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Deer resistant, Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Does not require lot of watering
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Proper mowing practices are necessary
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees
Allergy
allergic conjunctivitis, Asthma
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Recommended more for beef than for milk production
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
Lawns and Turf
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
PASPALUM notatum
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
Bahia Grass
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
बाहिया घास
नींबू बाम
In German
Bahia Grass
Lemonbalm
In French
l'herbe de Bahia
mélisse
In Spanish
bahia hierba
Lemonbalm
In Greek
Bahia γρασίδι
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
bahia grama
Lemonbalm
In Polish
Bahia trawy
Lemonbalm
In Latin
bahia herba
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Lamiales
Family
Poaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Paspalum
Melissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Paspaleae
-
Subfamily
-
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
14
1
27800
👆🏻