Plants › Mint Family
lemon balm
Melissa officinalis
28 photos
Study shows up to four per card, from different observers, so you learn the species rather than one picture. Heart the good ones and swap any you do not like.
Photos you add are credited to you, and you keep the copyright.
Easily confused with
CatnipNepeta cataria
red deadnettleLamium purpureum
Black horehoundBallota nigra
yellow archangelLamium galeobdolon
Small-flowered MelissaMelissa axillaris
great stinging nettleUrtica dioica
White deadnettleLamium album
Lesser CalamintClinopodium nepeta
Study checks a spoken answer against these, and tells you which one you named.
Where it is recorded
| United States | 32,330 |
|---|---|
| Alaska | 20,530 |
| Canada | 2,552 |
| Oregon | 1,606 |
| Ontario | 1,524 |
| New York | 1,217 |
| California | 861 |
| Washington | 787 |
| United Kingdom | 738 |
| England | 703 |
Counts show where people looked, not only where it lives.
Traits
Group and habits
- Human edibleListed as edible by a harvested source. This is a research trait, not foraging advice.Kew World Checklist of Useful Plant Species
- Medicinal useListed as having medicinal use by a harvested source. This is not medical advice.Kew World Checklist of Useful Plant Species
- Material useListed as being used for materials such as wood, fiber, resin, gum, or oil.Kew World Checklist of Useful Plant Species
- Restoration or landscaping useListed as being used for restoration, landscaping, ornamental planting, erosion control, soil improvement, shade, windbreaks, pollution indicators, or wastewater purification.Kew World Checklist of Useful Plant Species
- Forb or herb growth formListed by a harvested source as having a forb or herbaceous growth form.USDA PLANTS Characteristics
- Perennial plantListed by a harvested source as having a perennial life duration.USDA PLANTS Characteristics
- Pollinator-associated plantDescends from a plant lineage commonly associated with pollinators.Inferred from its group
Edibility, toxicity and medicinal traits are records from datasets, not advice. Never eat, handle or use a wild species on the strength of an app.
Classification
| Kingdom | Plants · Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Vascular Plants · Tracheophyta |
| Class | Dicots · Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Mints, Plantains, Olives, and Allies · Lamiales |
| Family | Mint Family · Lamiaceae |
| Genus | Melissas · Melissa |
Study it in a deck
Or build your own from the species near you.
Sources
- Names, taxonomy and observation counts: www.inaturalist.org
- Photos and recordings: the creator and source are on each one.
- Traits: Kew World Checklist of Useful Plant Species (CC BY 4.0)
- Traits: USDA PLANTS Characteristics (U.S. Government work / public domain)
- How much to rely on each source
Remember the name next time.
Practise lemon balm with real photos from different observers. Say the name out loud, and it comes back just before you would forget it.