Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Fruit
Origin
Southern Europe
Western Asia
Types
Melissa officinalis
Sweet cherry, Black cherry, Virginia bird cherry
Number of Varieties
52
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Terrestrial
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-95-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
10-1
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
4, 5, 6, 7, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm3,200.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
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
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Budding, Grafting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Prune in winter, Remove branches that rub together, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Fertilize in early spring
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
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
Medium
-
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Aphids, Birds, Woodpeckers
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Anti-ageing, Good for skin and hair, Promotes healthy skin, Skin cleanser
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Air purification, Food for birds, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Anemia, anti-cancer, Arthritis, Cardiovascular problems, Migraines, Muscle Pain, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Medicinal oil, Used as insect repellent, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in herbal medicines
Food for animals, Food for insects, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
PRUNUS avium 'Bing'
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Bing Cherry, Sweet Cherry
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
Bing Cherry Tree
In German
Lemonbalm
Bing Kirschbaum
In French
mélisse
Bing Cherry Tree
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
Bing Cherry Tree
In Greek
Lemonbalm
Bing Cherry Tree
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
Cherry Tree Bing
In Polish
Lemonbalm
Bing Cherry Tree
In Latin
CITRAGO
Bing Cherry ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Rosales
Family
Lamiaceae
Rosaceae
Genus
Melissa
Prunus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
-
Number of Species
4430
1
27800
👆🏻