Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Southern Europe
Southeastern Asia
Types
Melissa officinalis
Citrus hystrix
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Deep, gardens, old gardens, Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9
9-11
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, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Yellow, Green, Yellow green
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
Light Green
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Medium
Average Water Needs, Water Deeply
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
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
Prune for shortening long shoots, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Thinning
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
Apply N-P-K, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Armored scales, Fomes root rot, Mites, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Cold climate, Drought, Heat And Humidity
Flowers
Insignificant
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fragrant Bark/Stem
Yes
Yes
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Attracts
Bees
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
-
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Bonsai
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
-
Edible Uses
Insignificant
Yes
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Blood purifier, Digestion problems, Digestive disorders
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Medicinal oil, Used as insect repellent, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in herbal medicines
Making Shampoo, Used as insect repellent
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
CITRUS hystrix
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Kaffir Lime, Makrut
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
काफ़िर लाइम
In German
Lemonbalm
Kaffernlimette
In French
mélisse
combava
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
cafre
In Greek
Lemonbalm
Καφρός Lime
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
Kaffir Lime
In Polish
Lemonbalm
kaffir wapno
In Latin
CITRAGO
Cafres Lime
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Sapindales
Family
Lamiaceae
Rutaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Importance of Lemonbalm and Kaffir Lime
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Lemonbalm and Kaffir Lime. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Lemonbalm and Kaffir Lime as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Lemonbalm is Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia and Sedative whereas of Kaffir Lime is Blood purifier, Digestion problems and Digestive disorders. Lemonbalm has beauty benefits as follows: Good for skin and Skin Problems while Kaffir Lime has beauty benefits as follows: Good for skin and Skin Problems.
Compare Facts of Lemonbalm vs Kaffir Lime
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Lemonbalm vs Kaffir Lime and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Lemonbalm are Avoid during Pregnancy and Skin irritation whereas of Kaffir Lime have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Lemonbalm has no showy fruits and Kaffir Lime has showy fruits. Also Lemonbalm is not flowering and Kaffir Lime is not flowering . You can compare Lemonbalm and Kaffir Lime facts and facts of other plants too.