Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Southern Europe
Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Canada, Northern Europe, Russia/Siberia, Japan
Types
Melissa officinalis
V. vitis-idaea var. vitis-idaea, V. vitis-idaea var. minus Lodd
Number of Varieties
52
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Mountain tops, Rocky areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-92-6
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
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
Prostrate/Trailing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm10.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Round
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
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Requires regular watering, when new, water every week
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well 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
No pruning needed in the early stages
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
for fruiting plants, use high phosphorous content fertilizer, since leafy plants, use higher nitrogen content fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, 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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Birds
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Nausea, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Arthritis, Gout, Kidney problems, Urinary tract problems
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
Used As Food, Used in making beverages
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Alpine, Bog Garden, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
VACCINIUM vitis-idaea
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Lingonberry
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
Lingonberry
In German
Lemonbalm
Preiselbeere
In French
mélisse
Airelle
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
Lingonberry
In Greek
Lemonbalm
Lingonberry
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
Lingonberry
In Polish
Lemonbalm
borówki brusznicy
In Latin
CITRAGO
Lingonberry
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Ericales
Family
Lamiaceae
Ericaceae
Genus
Melissa
Vaccinium
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
-
Number of Species
438
1
27800
👆🏻