Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Herbs
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southern Europe
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Melissa officinalis
Not avilable
Number of Varieties
510
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9-9999
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
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Weeping
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm4.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
Dark Salmon, Sandy Brown, White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Multi-Color
Fruit Color
Brown
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Succulent
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Early Spring, Early Summer, Late Spring, Late Winter, Mid Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
-
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
-
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
-
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Semi-Double
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
-
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Itchiness
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
-
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Fruits, Nut
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 as Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Container, Houseplant, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
Selenicereus pteranthus
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Selenicereus, Moonlight cactus
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
moonlight cactus
In German
Lemonbalm
Selenicereus
In French
mélisse
Selenicereus
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
Selenicereus
In Greek
Lemonbalm
Selenicereus
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
Selenicereus
In Polish
Lemonbalm
Selenicereus
In Latin
CITRAGO
moonlight cactus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Lamiaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Melissa
Selenicereus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Hylocereeae
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
Cactoideae
Number of Species
41
1
27800
👆🏻