Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Herbs
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Europe
North America, Mexico, Central America
Types
Melissa officinalis
Summer Squash, Winter Squash
Number of Varieties
51
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
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
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 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
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Orange, Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Lemon yellow
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Arrowhead
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Ample Water
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
-
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
Compost
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Downy mildew, Fungal Diseases, 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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Insects
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Skin irritation, Skin rash
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Food for birds, Food for insects
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
anti-cancer, Bone strength, Fiber, Indigestion, Nutrients, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
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 for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
CUCURBITA pepo 'Delicata'
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Peanut Squash, Squash
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
देलिकाता स्क्वाश
In German
Lemonbalm
Delicata Squash
In French
mélisse
Delicata Squash
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
Delicata Squash
In Greek
Lemonbalm
Delicata Σκουός
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
Delicata Squash
In Polish
Lemonbalm
Delicata Squash
In Latin
CITRAGO
delicata Cucurbitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Cucurbitales
Family
Lamiaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Melissa
Cucurbita
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
4100
1
27800
👆🏻