Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Herbaceous Perennial
Origin
Southern Europe
Africa, Kenya, South Africa
Types
Melissa officinalis
Freesia
Number of Varieties
515
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
gardens, Grassland, Homesteads, Tropical regions, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-10
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
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm50.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm40.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
Yellow
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, Light Yellow, Brown
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Slightly Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
From bulbs
Plant Maintenance
Low
High
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Needs a lot of moisture in the growing season, Stop watering completely once the plant becomes dormant
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Slightly Acidic
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand, Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Shade, Indirect sunlight, Partial shade, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Cut away fading foliage, Remove deadheads, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
20-20-20 amount, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Fertilize in early spring, Potash
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Pests and diseases free
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Butterflies
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beautification, Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Hair Conditioner, Making cosmetics, Skin cleanser
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Bulbs, Flowers
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Medicinal oil, Used as insect repellent, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in herbal medicines
Cosmetics, Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used for fragrance
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Feature Plant, Flower borders, Screening
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
Freesia refracta
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Freesia
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
Freesia
In German
Lemonbalm
Freesie
In French
mélisse
Freesia
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
fresia
In Greek
Lemonbalm
freesia
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
freesia
In Polish
Lemonbalm
frezja
In Latin
CITRAGO
Freesia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Asparagales
Family
Lamiaceae
Iridaceae
Genus
Melissa
Freesia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
Ixioideae
Number of Species
416
1
27800
👆🏻