Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Herbs
Origin
Southern Europe
Europe, Asia
Types
Melissa officinalis
Thodopuza, Red streaked, Alleppey
Number of Varieties
530
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Loamy soils, Tropical Forests, Tropical regions, Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-97-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
9-1
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
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm50.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm100.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
Green, Light Green, Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Tan, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Long Elliptic
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Mid Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
Heat Tolerance, Humidity
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
From Rhizomes, Root Division
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the 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
Average
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
Cut back old stems to the ground, Prune after harvesting, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
Compost, Fertilize the soil before planting, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Aphids, Leaf Hoppers, Mites, Scale, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Shallow soil
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
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Aphids, Caterpillar, Mites, Rabbits, Snails
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Abdominal distension, Blurred vision, Oral Allergy
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Acne, Anti-ageing, Blackheads, Blood purifying, Making cosmetics, Natural Sunscreen, Remove blemishes, Skin inflammation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Fixes Nitrogen, Prevent weeds, Provides ground cover
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Abdominal Disease, Acne, Alzheimer’s Disease, Antibacterial, antimicrobial, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Atherosclerosis, Brain disease, Carminative, Cold, Diarrhea, Digestion problems, Eczema, Liver problems, Menstrual Cramps, Treat Parasitic Intestinal Worms, Treatment of ulcers, Urinary tract problems
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Medicinal oil, Used as insect repellent, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in herbal medicines
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Used as an ointment, Used as colouring in foods, Used as insect repellent
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Alpine, Cutflower, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
Curcuma longa
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Turmeric, Curcuma
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
हल्दी
In German
Lemonbalm
Kurkuma
In French
mélisse
curcuma
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
Curcuma longa
In Greek
Lemonbalm
κουρκούμη
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
curcuma
In Polish
Lemonbalm
kurkuma
In Latin
CITRAGO
turmeric
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Zingiberales
Family
Lamiaceae
Zingiberaceae
Genus
Melissa
Curcuma
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Zingibereae
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
Zingiberoideae
Number of Species
4100
1
27800
👆🏻