Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Tree
Origin
Southern Europe
North America
Types
Melissa officinalis
Prunus virginiana
Number of Varieties
530
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Moist Soils, open Woodlands, Pine barrens, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-93-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
8-1
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
A1, A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 10, 16
Habit
Clump-Forming
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm460.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm550.00 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
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
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
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Requires regular watering
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
Remove branches that rub together, Remove dead branches
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
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
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
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beautification, 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
Asthma, Bronchitis, Cough, Diarrhea, Dysentry, Fever, Stomach Ulcers
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Bark, 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
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Foundation, Hedges, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
PRUNUS virginiana
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Wild black cherry, Cherry bark
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
Chokecherry
In German
Lemonbalm
Chokecherry
In French
mélisse
Chokecherry
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
Chokecherry
In Greek
Lemonbalm
Chokecherry
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
Chokecherry
In Polish
Lemonbalm
Chokecherry
In Latin
CITRAGO
chokecherry
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
-
Amygdaleae
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
Amygdaloideae
Number of Species
425
1
27800
👆🏻