Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Herbs
Herbs
Origin
Southern Europe
Southern Europe, Mediterranean
Types
Melissa officinalis
-
Number of Varieties
550
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Roadsides, wastelands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-94-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
9-1
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
H1, H2, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Compound
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Use to half the strength of the fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Caterpillars, Cutworms, Slugs
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Caterpillar
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
-
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
Digestion problems, Gastrointestinal disorders
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
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
Can be made into a herbal tea, Culinary use, Used as a spice
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
FOENICULUM vulgare
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Common Fennel, Fennel
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
सौंफ़
In German
Lemonbalm
Fenchel
In French
mélisse
Fenouil
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
Hinojo
In Greek
Lemonbalm
Μάραθο
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
Funcho
In Polish
Lemonbalm
Koper włoski
In Latin
CITRAGO
faeniculi
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Anthophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Apiales
Family
Lamiaceae
Apiaceae
Genus
Melissa
Foeniculum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
Apioideae
Number of Species
4100
1
27800
👆🏻