Life Span
Perennial
Biennial
Type
Herbs
Tree
Origin
Southern Europe
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
Types
Melissa officinalis
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
Number of Varieties
520
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-13
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-9
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, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm760.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm17.80 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Green, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Butterfly shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Budding, Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Average Water Needs, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, 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
Clay, 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 flowers, Remove dead leaves
Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
Apply N-P-K
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
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
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Birds
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Carminative, Laxative
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, 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
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
BAUHINIA purpurea
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
Butterfly tree
In German
Lemonbalm
Schmetterlings- Baum
In French
mélisse
arbre de papillon
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
árbol de la mariposa
In Greek
Lemonbalm
δέντρο πεταλούδα
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
árvore borboleta
In Polish
Lemonbalm
drzewo Butterfly
In Latin
CITRAGO
Gloria ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Fabales
Family
Lamiaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Melissa
Bauhinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Cercideae
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
Caesalpinioideae
Number of Species
4500
1
27800
👆🏻