Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Shrub
Origin
Southern Europe
Eastern Asia, Malaysia
Types
Melissa officinalis
Plectranthus scutellarioides
Number of Varieties
5150
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
gardens, Subtropical climates, tropical environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-911-12
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
-
Habit
Clump-Forming
Bushy, Evergreen
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Red, Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Red, Green, Purple
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Damp
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Requires a lot of watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Ample Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Damp
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
cut main flower spike, Cut or pinch the stems
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
Full-strength liquid fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Downy mildew, Red blotch, Stem rot
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
-
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes, Used for making hedges
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Weightloss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Air purification, Provides ground cover, Soil protection, soil stabilisation
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Asthma, Glaucoma, High blood pressure, Liver Protection, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Leaves
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 Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Container, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
Plectranthus scutellarioides
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Coleus, Painted nettle
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
Coleus
In German
Lemonbalm
Buntnessel
In French
mélisse
Vieux garçon
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
coleo
In Greek
Lemonbalm
Coleus
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
cóleus
In Polish
Lemonbalm
Coleus
In Latin
CITRAGO
Coleus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Lamiales
Family
Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Melissa
Coleus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
-
Number of Species
4150
1
27800
👆🏻