Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Herbs
Origin
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Southern Europe
Types
-
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
-5
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-74-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 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
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
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Dark Green
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
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
Keep ground moist, 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
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut out old flower stalks, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, N-P-K balanced liquid fertilizer, Potassium
Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Army-worms, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cucumber mosaic, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Bees
Allergy
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
Glowing Skin, Moisturizing, Nourishes scalp
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Jaundice, Laxative, Leprosy, Weight loss
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent
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, Vine
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
Trichosanthes cucumerina
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
snake gourd, serpent gourd, chichinda, padwal
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
चिचिण्डा
नींबू बाम
In German
Schlangenhaargurke
Lemonbalm
In French
Trichosanthes cucumerina
mélisse
In Spanish
snake gourd
Lemonbalm
In Greek
φίδι κολοκύθα
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
snake gourd
Lemonbalm
In Polish
Gurdlina ogórkowata
Lemonbalm
In Latin
snake gourd
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Lamiales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Coccinia
Melissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Papilionoideae
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
274
1
27800
👆🏻