Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southern Europe
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China, Japan, Australia
Types
Melissa officinalis
Oenanthe javanica, Helosciadium nodiflorum
Number of Varieties
52
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Bog Garden, Cultivated Beds, Ponds
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-11
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
H1, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
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
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
simple-pinnate or double-pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Late Summer, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Divison, Layering, Seedlings, stem tip cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Needs Very high moisture
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Poorly Drained
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
Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Aphids, Armyworm, Bacterial Blight, Damping off, Downy mildew
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Bees, Flies, Insects
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Bog Garden, Ground Cover
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
Depurative, Febrifuge, Styptic
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Leaves, Root, Seeds
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 a seasoning in soups, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
OENANTHE javanica
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Java Water Dropwort, Water Celery, Water Parsley
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
Water Celery
In German
Lemonbalm
Wasser Sellerie
In French
mélisse
Céleri d'eau
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
El apio agua
In Greek
Lemonbalm
Σέλινο νερό
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
Aipo água
In Polish
Lemonbalm
Seler Woda
In Latin
CITRAGO
Aqua Apium
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Apiales
Family
Lamiaceae
Apiaceae
Genus
Melissa
Oenanthe
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Oenantheae
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
Apioideae
Number of Species
41
1
27800
👆🏻