Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tree
Herbs
Origin
New Zealand
Southern Europe
Types
Metrosideros excelsa
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
85
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-124-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 16, 17, 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
Oval or Rounded
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
910.00 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Crimson
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Sandy Brown
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Dark Green, Gray
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Gray
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Gray
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Gray
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Acicular
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Deer resistant, Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
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 leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid 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
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Hummingbirds
Bees
Allergy
-
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Used as Christmas tree, Used for making hedges
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Dysentry
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Wood
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Application in Furniture
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, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
METROSIDEROS excelsa
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
pohutukawa
नींबू बाम
In German
pohutukawa
Lemonbalm
In French
pohutukawa
mélisse
In Spanish
pohutukawa
Lemonbalm
In Greek
pohutukawa
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
pohutukawa
Lemonbalm
In Polish
pohutukawa
Lemonbalm
In Latin
pohutukawa
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Myrtales
Lamiales
Family
Myrtaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Metrosideros
Melissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
124
1
27800
👆🏻