Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southern Europe
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, Nepal, China
Types
Melissa officinalis
Orange bottlebrush ginger, Kahili ginger, Cream garland-lily
Number of Varieties
510
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Forest edges, Moist Soils, Riverbanks, Swamps, Wet lands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-97-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
10-7
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
H1, H2, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm152.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm60.96 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Red, Orange
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Average Water Needs, Requires consistently moist soil, Water Deeply
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
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Fertilize every week
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
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Ants, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Abdominal Disease, Anthelmintic, Antirheumatic, Carminative, Chest pain, Febrifuge, Joint pain, Stomachic, Tonic, Tonsillitis
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Flowers, Root, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Medicinal oil, Used as insect repellent, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in herbal medicines
Garland, Paper pulp, Used as essential oil, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in paper industry
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Container, Cutflower, Edible, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
HEDYCHIUM coronarium
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Butterfly Ginger, Butterfly Lily, White Garland Lily
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
Butterfly Ginger Plant
In German
Lemonbalm
Schmetterling Ingwerpflanze
In French
mélisse
Papillon Ginger Plante
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
Planta de jengibre de la mariposa
In Greek
Lemonbalm
Πεταλούδα Τζίντζερ φυτών
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
Borboleta Ginger planta
In Polish
Lemonbalm
Butterfly Ginger roślin
In Latin
CITRAGO
Gingiber Plantae Gloria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Zingiberales
Family
Lamiaceae
Zingiberaceae
Genus
Melissa
Hedychium
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Zingibereae
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
Zingiberoideae
Number of Species
480
1
27800
👆🏻