Lemon Balm
Melissa officinalis
About it
- Kind
- Herbs · Perennial
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Mature size
- to 2 ft × 3 ft
- Hardiness zones
- Zones 3–7
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 18 in apart
- Soil depth in a pot
- At least 6 in
ⓘ We don't know this plant's soil pH and feeding needs yet.
When to plant
- Ready
- About 90 days from sowing
Based on your last frost date. Outside the US, check local advice.
Planting partners
No cited companion planting notes for Lemon Balm yet.
Safety for pets and children
- Cats Listed as non-toxic to cats (NC State Extension)
- Dogs Listed as non-toxic to dogs (NC State Extension)
- Horses Listed as non-toxic to horses (NC State Extension)
- Children No information in our sources
Read from NC State Extension ↗.
"No information" means our sources do not say, not that the plant is harmless. A non-toxic listing is not a reason to let anyone eat a plant.
Pests and diseases
No pest or disease notes for Lemon Balm yet.
Check the label and your local extension service before using any product.
Where this comes from
- category NC State Extension ↗
- climate requirement NC State Extension ↗ Toolbox USDA Plant Hardiness Zone: 3a-7a; a perennial hardy through a zone 3 winter is frost-tolerant, and USU calls it "a hardy perennial herb"
- days to maturity burpee.com ↗ Burpee: "Days to Maturity ... 90", defined on the same page as "the average number of days from when the plant is actively growing in the garden to the expected time of harvest"
- edible NC State Extension ↗ Toolbox: "Leaf Value To Gardener: Edible"
- family NC State Extension ↗
- growth rate NC State Extension ↗ Toolbox Growth Rate: Rapid. Herbaceous perennial, so class only, no annual_growth_in (0036 convention 3)
- life cycle NC State Extension ↗ Toolbox Life Cycle: Perennial; USU: "a hardy perennial herb"
- mature height in NC State Extension ↗ Toolbox Height: 1 ft 6 in - 2 ft 0 in; upper bound
- mature spread in NC State Extension ↗ Toolbox Width: 1 ft 6 in - 3 ft 0 in; upper bound
- maturity counted from burpee.com ↗ Burpee's own definition ("actively growing in the garden") is read as the general sowing/establishment basis this catalogue calls sowing, the same reading given every other row whose source does not specifically mark a transplant-counted figure
- min soil depth in NC State Extension ↗ Not in Table 18-1; non-taprooted herbaceous perennial herb (Lamiaceae) like Chives, Oregano and Thyme (0039), which the table lists at 6 in
- space requirement extension.usu.edu ↗ USU: "Plant 18 inches apart"; "should be spaced 18 to 24 inches apart"; low end. No distinct row figure given, so rows equal plants
- species NC State Extension ↗
- sunlight NC State Extension ↗
- toxicity NC State Extension ↗ non_toxic for cat, dog, horse from its "non-toxic for" tags.