Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Tree
Origin
Southern Europe
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Australia
Types
Melissa officinalis
Ficus benjamina
Number of Varieties
5800
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Temperate Regions, tropical environments, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-10
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, 13, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm2,440.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm3,050.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Yellow, Red, Green, Pink, Orange Red, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Elliptic
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought, Full Sun, Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Cuttings, Layering
Plant Maintenance
Low
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Water carefully
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well 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 damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
10-10-10, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Any balanced general purpose fertilizer, slow-release fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Red blotch, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought, Full Sun, Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Flowers
Insignificant
Insignificant
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
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Birds
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Rhinoconjunctivitis, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Bonsai, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Reduce Bruises
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Antibacterial, Aphrodisiac, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Bark, Fruits, Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Medicinal oil, Used as insect repellent, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in herbal medicines
Container
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Container, Feature Plant, Hedges, Houseplant, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
FICUS benjamina
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Weeping Fig, Benjamin's fig, Ficus tree
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
रो अंजीर
In German
Lemonbalm
Birkenfeige
In French
mélisse
figuier pleureur
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
higo llorón
In Greek
Lemonbalm
κλάμα σύκο
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
chorando fig
In Polish
Lemonbalm
płacz rys
In Latin
CITRAGO
Plorans ficum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Urticales
Family
Lamiaceae
Moraceae
Genus
Melissa
Ficus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Ficeae
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
-
Number of Species
4850
1
27800
👆🏻