Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Shrub
Origin
Southern Europe
Southeastern Asia
Types
Melissa officinalis
alpine shootingstar , Jewelled shootingstar , Sierran shootingstar , broad-leaved shootingstar , Frigid Shootingstar
Number of Varieties
517
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Floodplains, open Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-9
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, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
White, Pink, Salmon, Coral
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Red, Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Gray Green, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Gray Green, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Gray Green, Dark Green, Burgundy
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Ovate elongated
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
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
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter
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
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
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 after flowering, 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
Aphids, Fungal leaf spots
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Runny nose, sneezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Mixed Border, small hedge
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, 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
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Hedges, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
CLERODENDRUM quadriloculare
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
American cowslip , mosquito bills , mad violets , sailor caps
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
shooting star
In German
Lemonbalm
shooting star
In French
mélisse
Dodecatheon
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
Dodecatheon
In Greek
Lemonbalm
shooting star
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
Dodecatheon
In Polish
Lemonbalm
shooting star
In Latin
CITRAGO
shooting star
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Primulales
Family
Lamiaceae
Verbenaceae
Genus
Melissa
Dodecatheon
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
-
Number of Species
417
1
27800
👆🏻