Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Herbs
Origin
North America, United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, North-Central United States, South-Central United States, Texas
Southern Europe
Types
-
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
35
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Fens, Fields, meadows, Swamps, Woodlands
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-94-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-4
12-1
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7
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
Thicket/Colonizing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
12.70 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblovate
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, 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
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Deer resistant, Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Prune in early spring, 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, Compost, Fertilize every year, Mulch, Nitrogen
Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Apple Maggot, Fall Webworm, Red blotch, Scale
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
-
Deer resistant, Drought
Flowers
Showy
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
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Bees
Allergy
-
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
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
Fruits
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, 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
Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
ARONIA arbutifolia
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
Red Chokeberry
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
लाल Chokeberry
नींबू बाम
In German
Rote Apfelbeere
Lemonbalm
In French
Red Chokeberry
mélisse
In Spanish
rojo Chokeberry
Lemonbalm
In Greek
κόκκινο Chokeberry
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
Red Chokeberry
Lemonbalm
In Polish
Red aronii
Lemonbalm
In Latin
arbutifolia
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Rosales
Lamiales
Family
Rosaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Aronia
Melissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
254
1
27800
👆🏻