Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Perennial
Herbs
Origin
World, Pandemic, North America, Europe, Africa, Asia
Southern Europe
Types
-
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
305
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Bluffs, Sandy stream banks, Wooded slopes
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-104-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6
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
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
10.20 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.20 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Purple, Lavender, Blue Violet
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium, Requires watering in the growing season
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial 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
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Insects
Bees
Allergy
Skin irritation
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Liver problems, Skin Disorders, Treatment of ulcers
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Employed in herbal medicine, Used as a spice
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, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
IRIS cristata
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
Crested Iris
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
कलगी आइरिस
नींबू बाम
In German
Crested Iris
Lemonbalm
In French
Crested Iris
mélisse
In Spanish
Crested Iris
Lemonbalm
In Greek
Crested Iris
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
Crested Iris
Lemonbalm
In Polish
Czubaty Iris
Lemonbalm
In Latin
iubatum Iris
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Lamiales
Family
Iridaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Iris
Melissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Irideae
-
Subfamily
Iridoideae
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
2104
1
27800
👆🏻