Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Herbs
Origin
Central America, Mexico, North America
Southern Europe
Types
Neck, Really Big Hybrid, Waltham
Melissa officinalis
Number of Varieties
55
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-114-9
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
Prostrate/Trailing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
7.62 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
50.80 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Peach, Tan
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, Yellow green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
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
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Prefer drip-irrigation instead of Over-head watering, 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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove the old foliage
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Balanced organic fertilizer, iron-rich fertilizer, Nitrogen, Phosphate
Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Dry root rot, Fusarium leaf spot, Soft scales
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Full Sun, Shade areas, Shallow soil
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
Ants, Bees
Bees
Allergy
Dermatitis
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
Glowing Skin, Good for skin and hair
Good for skin, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiasthamatic, anti-cancer, Cardiovascular problems, cholesterol-lowering, constipation, Diabetes, Fiber, High blood pressure, High cholestrol, Immunity, Manganese, Obesity, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
For making oil, Used As Food
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
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
CUCURBITA pepo 'White Crown of Thorns'
MELISSA officinalis
Common Name
Winter Squash
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
In Hindi
कोंहड़ा
नींबू बाम
In German
Winter squash
Lemonbalm
In French
courges d'hiver
mélisse
In Spanish
calabaza de invierno
Lemonbalm
In Greek
σκουός χειμώνα
Lemonbalm
In Portuguese
abóbora
Lemonbalm
In Polish
dynia
Lemonbalm
In Latin
cucurbita
CITRAGO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Lamiales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Cucurbita
Melissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Papilionoideae
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
274
1
27800
👆🏻