Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Herbs
Sedge or Rush
Origin
Southern Europe
Southern Europe, United Kingdom, Northern Africa
Types
Melissa officinalis
-
Number of Varieties
520
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Grassland, Humid climates, Riverbanks, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-98-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
11-1
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
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Requires regular watering, Water when soil is dry
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
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial 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
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Insects
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Asthma, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beautification
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, Fever
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Whole plant
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 Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Bog Garden, Container, Edging, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
ISOLEPIS cernua
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Low Bulrush
Slender Clubrush
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
फाइबर ऑप्टिक घास
In German
Lemonbalm
Lichtwellenleiter-Gras
In French
mélisse
Fibre optique Herbe
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
Hierba de fibra óptica
In Greek
Lemonbalm
Οπτικών Ινών Grass
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
Fibra Óptica Relva
In Polish
Lemonbalm
Światłowody Trawa
In Latin
CITRAGO
Fiber opticus Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Lamiales
Poales
Family
Lamiaceae
Cyperaceae
Genus
Melissa
Isolepis
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
Pooideae
Number of Species
470
1
27800
👆🏻