Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Herbs
Tree
Origin
Southern Europe
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Alaska, Canada
Types
Melissa officinalis
Ornamental Tree
Number of Varieties
530
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Slopes, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-92-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
7-1
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, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm1,520.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm760.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Light Yellow, Gold
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
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
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
-
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
-
Edible Uses
Insignificant
Sometimes
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Cold, Cough, Gout, Laxative, Rheumatism, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Leaves, Wood
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Medicinal oil, Used as insect repellent, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in herbal medicines
Animal Feed, Sometimes used for making wine
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
BETULA papyrifera
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Paper Birch
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
Paper birch
In German
Lemonbalm
Papierbirke
In French
mélisse
Le bouleau à papier
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
abedul de papel
In Greek
Lemonbalm
σημύδα χαρτί
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
vidoeiro de papel
In Polish
Lemonbalm
brzoza papieru
In Latin
CITRAGO
Paper betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Fagales
Family
Lamiaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Melissa
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
-
Number of Species
460
1
27800
👆🏻