Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Herbs
Origin
North America, Mexico, Central America
Southern Europe
Types
Summer Squash, Winter Squash
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
15
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99994-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 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
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
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Orange, Dark Green, Ivory
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Lemon yellow
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Arrowhead
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Ample Water
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
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 flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost
Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Downy mildew, Fungal 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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Insects
Bees
Allergy
Skin irritation, Skin rash
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for birds, Food for insects
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
anti-cancer, Bone strength, Fiber, Indigestion, Nutrients, Weight loss
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
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
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
CUCURBITA pepo 'Delicata'
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
Peanut Squash, Squash
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
देलिकाता स्क्वाश
नींबू बाम
In German
Delicata Squash
Lemonbalm
In French
Delicata Squash
mélisse
In Spanish
Delicata Squash
Lemonbalm
In Greek
Delicata Σκουός
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
Delicata Squash
Lemonbalm
In Polish
Delicata Squash
Lemonbalm
In Latin
delicata Cucurbitae
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Spermatophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Lamiales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Cucurbita
Melissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
1004
1
27800
👆🏻