Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Herbs
Origin
America, Europe
Southern Europe
Types
Clump verbena, Moss verbena, Annual Verbena, Brazilian verbena, Sandpaper Verbana
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
505
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forest edges, Hillside, Woods
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-94-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-1
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 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
Plant Size
Minimum Height
6.56 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.50 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Blue, Dark Purple, Light Purple, Red, White
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblovate
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Early Spring, Late Autumn
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Well drained
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Fall, Early Summer, Fall, Late Spring, Late Summer, Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Deer resistant, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water frequently, Medium, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Type
Well drained
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune for shortening long shoots, Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune lower leaves, Prune regularly, Prune to control growth
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
-
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
-
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Bees
Allergy
Arthritis, Asthma, Chest Pain, Itchiness, Whooping Cough
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
Arthritis, Gallbladder Diseases, Itching, Jaundice, Joint pain, Kidney problems, Liver problems, Metabolic disorders, Sore throat, Upset stomach, Urinary tract problems
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Root
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Air freshner, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics, Decoration Purposes, Economic Purpose, Employed in herbal medicine, Oil is used for aromatherapy, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for flavoring in Liquors, dairy products, gelatins,puddings, meats, candies, etc., Used for fragrance
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
Bedding Plant, Bonsai, Container, Edible, Herb
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
Purpletop Vervain
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
Verbena
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
verbena
नींबू बाम
In German
Eisenkraut
Lemonbalm
In French
verveine
mélisse
In Spanish
Verbena
Lemonbalm
In Greek
λουίζα
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
verbena
Lemonbalm
In Polish
werbena
Lemonbalm
In Latin
Grindelia
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Lamiales
Family
Verbenaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Verbena
Melissa
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
2504
1
27800
👆🏻