Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Herbs
Origin
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
Southern Europe
Types
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
205
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-134-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
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
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
760.00 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
17.80 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Sandy Brown
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Butterfly shaped
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Budding, Grafting, Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Water Deeply
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply N-P-K
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
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Bees
Allergy
-
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Carminative, Laxative
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Part of Plant Used
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
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
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
BAUHINIA purpurea
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
Butterfly tree
नींबू बाम
In German
Schmetterlings- Baum
Lemonbalm
In French
arbre de papillon
mélisse
In Spanish
árbol de la mariposa
Lemonbalm
In Greek
δέντρο πεταλούδα
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
árvore borboleta
Lemonbalm
In Polish
drzewo Butterfly
Lemonbalm
In Latin
Gloria ligno
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fabales
Lamiales
Family
Fabaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Bauhinia
Melissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Cercideae
-
Subfamily
Caesalpinioideae
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
5004
1
27800
👆🏻