Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Herbs
Origin
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Southern Europe
Types
Nassella tenuissima
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
155
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-104-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11 - 4
12-1
Sunset Zone
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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
50.80 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
55.90 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Requires little pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 12-6-6 fertilizer
Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees
Allergy
-
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
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
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
NASSELLA tenuissima
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
Mexican Feather Grass
नींबू बाम
In German
Mexikanische Federgras
Lemonbalm
In French
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
mélisse
In Spanish
Pluma hierba mexicana
Lemonbalm
In Greek
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
Mexican Pena Relva
Lemonbalm
In Polish
Mexican Feather trawy
Lemonbalm
In Latin
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Lamiales
Family
Poaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Nassella
Melissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Stipeae
-
Subfamily
-
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
1164
1
27800
👆🏻