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Melissa Species, Balm Mint, Lemon Balm 'Citronella'

Melissaofficinalis

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Melissa officinalis by AThousandFlowers_US
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Family
Lamiaceae (lay-mee-AY-see-ee)
Info
Genus
Melissa (mel-ISS-a)
Info
Species
officinalis (oh-fiss-ih-NAH-liss)
Info
Synonym
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Foliage
Grown for foliage
Shiny/Glossy
Height
12-18 in. (30-45 cm)
Spacing
12-15 in. (30-38 cm)
Hardiness
USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 °C (-30 °F)
USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 °C (-25 °F)
USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F)
USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F)
USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F)
USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F)
USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
Danger
N/A
Bloom Color
Cream/Tan
Bloom Time
Mid Summer
Late Summer/Early Fall
Other Details
Category
Herbs
Water Requirements
Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings
Foliage Color
Light Green
Where to Grow
Grow outdoors year-round in hardiness zone
Can be grown as an annual
Bloom Characteristics
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Flowers are fragrant
Bloom Size
Under 1"
Other details
May be a noxious weed or invasive
Soil pH requirements
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information
Non-patented
Propagation Methods
From herbaceous stem cuttings
Self-sows freely; deadhead if you do not want volunteer seedlings next season
Seed Collecting
Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds
Regional
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