Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Southern Europe
Eastern Asia, China, Japan, Korea
Types
Melissa officinalis
Cleyera japonica ‘Tricolor’
Number of Varieties
51
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Warmer regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-96-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
-
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
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm2,240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Yellow, Red, Bronze
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Red, Dark Green, Bronze
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Dark Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
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
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Tip cutting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Water 1 in. per week during the active growing period, Water more frequently during periods of extreme drought
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, Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
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
Insignificant
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Bees, pollinators
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Mild Allergen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Cottage Garden, Formal Garden, Informal Hedge, Landscape Designing, Mixed Border, Used for making hedges, Used in parkland
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
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
extracted oil, Leaves, 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
Used as a building material, Used as fuel
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
TERNSTROEMIA gymnanthera 'Conthera'
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Cleyera Japonica, Sakaki Tree, Japanese ternstroemia
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
Cleyera
In German
Lemonbalm
Sakaki
In French
mélisse
Cleyera
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
Cleyera
In Greek
Lemonbalm
Cleyera
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
Cleyera
In Polish
Lemonbalm
Cleyera
In Latin
CITRAGO
Ternstroemia Gymnanthera
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Theales
Family
Lamiaceae
Theaceae
Genus
Melissa
Cleyera
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Freziereae
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
-
Number of Species
418
1
27800
👆🏻