Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Herbs
Origin
Eastern Asia, Malaysia
Southern Europe
Types
Plectranthus scutellarioides
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
1505
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, Subtropical climates, tropical environments
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
11-124-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-1
Sunset Zone
-
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
Bushy, Evergreen
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 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
Fruit Color
-
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Purple
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Red, Green, Purple
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Damp
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Deer resistant, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Ample Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Type
Damp
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
cut main flower spike, Cut or pinch the stems
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Full-strength liquid fertilizer
Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Downy mildew, Red blotch, Stem rot
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Wet Site
Deer resistant, Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees
Allergy
-
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes, Used for making hedges
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
Weightloss
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, Soil protection, soil stabilisation
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Asthma, Glaucoma, High blood pressure, Liver Protection, Weight loss
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties, useful as a ground cover
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, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
Plectranthus scutellarioides
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
Coleus, Painted nettle
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
Coleus
नींबू बाम
In German
Buntnessel
Lemonbalm
In French
Vieux garçon
mélisse
In Spanish
coleo
Lemonbalm
In Greek
Coleus
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
cóleus
Lemonbalm
In Polish
Coleus
Lemonbalm
In Latin
Coleus
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Lamiales
Family
Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Coleus
Melissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
1504
1
27800
👆🏻