Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Tree
Origin
Southern Europe
North America, United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Texas, Canada
Types
Melissa officinalis
Ash leaves maple, Acer negundo califormicum tehachapi, Acer negundo Flamingo
Number of Varieties
53
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Anthropogenic, Floodplains, Forests, Shores of rivers or lakes, Terrestrial
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-92-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
8-3
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
A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm2,438.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm1,524.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
Red, Yellow green, Dark Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Green, Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Yellow, Yellow green, Brown
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Broadly Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
Wet Site, Pollution, Drought, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Average Water Needs, Needs watering once a week
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Prune every year, Prune in early spring, Prune in late winter, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought, Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Aphids, Birds, Squirrels
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Asthma, Runny nose, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Bonsai
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Antidote, Antiemetic
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Medicinal oil, Used as insect repellent, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in herbal medicines
Can be made into a herbal tea, Decoration Purposes, Edible syrup, Used as essential oil, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Wood log is used in making fences
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Screening / Wind Break
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
ACER negundo
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Ash-Leaved Maple, Boxelder
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
Boxelder tree
In German
Lemonbalm
Boxelder Baum
In French
mélisse
arbre boxelder
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
árbol boxelder
In Greek
Lemonbalm
κουφοξυλιά δέντρο
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
árvore Boxelder
In Polish
Lemonbalm
Boxelder drzewo
In Latin
CITRAGO
Boxelder ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Sapindales
Family
Lamiaceae
Aceraceae
Genus
Melissa
Acer
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
-
Number of Species
415
1
27800
👆🏻