Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Herbs
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Europe
South America, Chile
Types
Melissa officinalis
Melody, King Edward potato, Kennebec
Number of Varieties
54000
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Cold Regions, Tropical regions, Wet ground, Wet lands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-3
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
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm91.44 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm60.96 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
Blue, Purple, Red, White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
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
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loose, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
From bulbs
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Requires consistently moist soil, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season, 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
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
15-15-15 amounts
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Beetles, Bugs, Early/Late Blight, Insects
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Abdominal pain, Asthma, Dermatitis, Diarrhea, Eczema, Nausea, Runny nose, Sore Throat, Swelling, Throat itching, Tight chest, Urticaria, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
For treating wrinkles, Good for skin and hair, Improve skin tone, Moisturizing, Treatment of Dark Spots
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Bone strength, Cancer, Diarrhea, Digestion problems, High blood pressure, Improve heart health, Inflammation, Kidney Stones, Metabolism, Rheumatism, Weight management and satiety
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 as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Edible, Herb, Vegetable
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
SOLANUM tuberosum
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Potato, Tater, Spud, Tuber
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
आलू
In German
Lemonbalm
Kartoffel
In French
mélisse
Pomme de terre
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
Patata
In Greek
Lemonbalm
Πατάτα
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
Batata
In Polish
Lemonbalm
Ziemniak
In Latin
CITRAGO
SOLANUM TUBEROSUM
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Anthophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Solanales
Family
Lamiaceae
Solanaceae
Genus
Melissa
Solanum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Asterids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
-
Number of Species
41400
1
27800
👆🏻