Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Tree
Origin
Southern Europe
Eastern Asia, China
Types
Melissa officinalis
Babylon
Number of Varieties
53
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Lake margins, River side, Swamps, Waste areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-95-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
10-9
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
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Weeping
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm460.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Light Yellow, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
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
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Divison, Rooted stem cutting, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Keep ground moist, Requires consistently moist soil, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
Compost, fertilize every 2-3 weeks while growing, fertilize in growing season
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Aphids, Beetles, Caterpillars, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought, Wet Site
Flowers
Insignificant
Insignificant
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
-
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Air purification, Erosion control, Food for birds, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shadow Tree, Shelter for wildlife, Versatility
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Headache, Sedative, Stomach pain
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Tree trunks
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Medicinal oil, Used as insect repellent, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in herbal medicines
Showy Purposes, Used as firewood, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
SALIX babylonica f. tortuosa
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Corkscrew Willow
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
पेंचकश विलो
In German
Lemonbalm
Korkenzieher-Weide
In French
mélisse
Tire-bouchon Willow
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
Tire-bouchon Willow
In Greek
Lemonbalm
τιρμπουσόν Willow
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
corkscrew salgueiro
In Polish
Lemonbalm
korkociąg Willow
In Latin
CITRAGO
corkscrew Willow
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Malpighiales
Family
Lamiaceae
Salicaceae
Genus
Melissa
Salix
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Saliceae
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
Salicoideae
Number of Species
435
1
27800
👆🏻