Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Herbs
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Europe
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Types
Melissa officinalis
Coccinia grandis
Number of Varieties
56
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-95-7
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
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
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
Palmate
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
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Requires regular watering, Water daily during 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
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
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Apply 12-12-12 amounts, Phosphate
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Aphids, Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought, Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
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
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Anti-ageing, For treating wrinkles, Nourishes scalp, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Food for animals
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Anti-fungal, Diabetes, Fever, Gastrointestinal disorders, Jaundice, Leprosy, Scabies, 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
Cosmetics, Repellent, Use in Chinese herbology
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
Coccinia grandis
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
baby watermelon, little gourd, tindora, tendli
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
तेंडली, कुंदुरी
In German
Lemonbalm
Tindola,
Efeu Kürbis
In French
mélisse
Ivy gourd
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
Ivy gourd
In Greek
Lemonbalm
Ivy gourd
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
Ivy gourd
In Polish
Lemonbalm
Ivy gourd
In Latin
CITRAGO
Ivy gourd
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Cucurbitales
Family
Lamiaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Melissa
Coccinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
Papilionoideae
Number of Species
427
1
27800
👆🏻