Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
Herbs
Origin
Northwestern United States, Canada
Southern Europe
Types
-
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
65
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lowland, Moist Soils, Swamps
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-74-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 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
Pyramidal
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,520.00 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
760.00 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Sienna
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Bronze
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Scale-like imbricate
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Deer resistant, Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Hardwood Cuttings, Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Needs a lot of moisture in the growing season, when new, water every week
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
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
Armillaria root rot, Bark beetles
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
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
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees
Allergy
Asthma, contact allergic dermatitis, Urticaria
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Bronchitis, Cold, Cough, Fever, Sore throat
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Part of Plant Used
Branch, Inner Bark, Leaves, Wood
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Dugout canoes, Making deodorants, Medicinal oil, Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods, Used as an insecticide, Used to make baskets
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
Feature Plant, Hedges, Screening / Wind Break
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
THUJA plicata
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
Giant Arborvitae, Green Giant Arborvitae, Western Arborvitae, Western Red Cedar
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
Pacific redcedar
नींबू बाम
In German
Riesen-Lebensbaum
Lemonbalm
In French
Thuja plicata
mélisse
In Spanish
Thuja plicata
Lemonbalm
In Greek
Thuja plicata
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
Thuja plicata
Lemonbalm
In Polish
Żywotnik olbrzymi
Lemonbalm
In Latin
Thuja plicata
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Pinophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Pinopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Pinales
Lamiales
Family
Cupressaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Thuja
Melissa
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
154
1
27800
👆🏻