Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus
Herbs
Origin
Central America, South America, Brazil
Southern Europe
Types
Columnar Cacti
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
505
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Temperate Regions
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-154-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-1
Sunset Zone
12, 13, 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
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Orange, Salmon
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Succulent
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
-
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Reduce watering in winter
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Fertilize the soil before planting, slow-release fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Bacterial Stem Rot, fungus, Mealybugs, Spider mites
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Bees
Allergy
-
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
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
Whole plant
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Florist trade and landscaping, Used as Ornamental plant
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
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
Cleistocactus strausii
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
silver torch or wooly torch
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
Cleistocactus strausii
नींबू बाम
In German
Cleistocactus strausii
Lemonbalm
In French
Cleistocactus strausii
mélisse
In Spanish
Cleistocactus strausii
Lemonbalm
In Greek
cleistocactus strausii
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
Cleistocactus strausii
Lemonbalm
In Polish
cleistocastus strausii
Lemonbalm
In Latin
Cleistocactus strausii
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Cactaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Cleistocactus
Melissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Trichocereeae
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
204
1
27800
👆🏻