Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Herbs
Origin
Brazil
Southern Europe
Types
Yellow Bloodleaf, Herbst's Bloodleaf, Standley's Bloodleaf
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
705
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
tropical environments
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
11-154-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Oval or Rounded
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.24 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.32 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Red, Green, Purple
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Red, Green, Purple
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Purple
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial 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
-
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Softwood cuttings, Stem Cutting, Tip cutting
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
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, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove branches that rub together, Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Balanced liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks
Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought
Flowers
-
Insignificant
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Insects, Wildlife
Bees
Allergy
Pollen
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Indoor 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
Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Showy Purposes
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, Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
IRESINE herbstii
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
Bloodleaf, Herbst's bloodleaf
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
Bloodleaf Plant
नींबू बाम
In German
Bloodleaf Pflanze
Lemonbalm
In French
Feuillesang Plante
mélisse
In Spanish
Planta Sangrienta
Lemonbalm
In Greek
Bloodleaf φυτών
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
Bloodleaf Planta
Lemonbalm
In Polish
Bloodleaf roślin
Lemonbalm
In Latin
Planta Bloodleaf
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Amaranthaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Iresine
Melissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Gomphreneae
-
Subfamily
Gomphrenoideae
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
704
1
27800
👆🏻