Lemon balm
melissa officinalis
Lemon Balm is a perennial herb in the Lamiaceaea (mint) family, native to Europe, Iran, Asia, and the Mediterranean Basin, and is now naturalized in the US. This aromatic ally has a beautiful lemony scent with a hint of mint. Her leaves are heart shaped, toothed and a little shiny, with a “quilted” or veined texture. The stem is square (like all mints), and she can grow up to 3 feet and spread around up to an equal length, depending on soil and light.
grow
Lemon Balm is a lovely addition to any garden or orchard. She is very attractive to honey bees, and can be planted near fruit trees to attract them for fruit pollination. She is also a great companion plant in the vegetable garden to help keep destructive insects at bay. Lemon Balm loves the sun, but can definitely tolerate the shade. I find that where we grow some of our Lemon Balm, it gets very hot so we plant her where she will get some afternoon shade as she really is a cool weather grower. Paying attention to her likes and dislikes, and your growing area can go a long way.
This tough lady will grow in almost any soil. She does very well in a well-drained, sandy loam, and likes watering, but not “wet feet”.
Start her indoors, around 2 months before transplanting outdoors after the last frost in early spring, or sow seeds outdoors directly in the garden around the same time as the last frost, in late summer or fall. The hope is to have the plants established before it gets too cold. In the winter, she may die all the way back and reappear in the spring from roots. *Make sure not to cover the seeds completely, as they need light to germinate! (1/4inch deep, and a light sprinkle of soil will do).
Some will recommend spacing and all that, but I say use your intuition. She may take a little time to sprout, but with your love and intention, she will do great! Trust yourself and have fun.
Stress Relief
This joyful lady has been used for over 2000 years to reduce stress, promote sleep and relieve anxiety. It is also a member of the mint family, so it has also been used for improving appetite, easing discomfort and pain from stomach aches, colic and indigestion. She can be made into teas, tinctures, body oils, creams, and essential oils. You may notice how expensive an essential oil of Melissa Officinalis is, her volatile oils are actually difficult to capture because when touching her, they are rubbed off quickly.
The scent of Lemon Balm is truly fantastic and can ease stress just by smelling her lovely leaves. She is a wonderful lady for anxiety and stress and her oils are valuable in that way as well. She is also fantastic in the kitchen, and has been used in flavoring ice cream, teas (both hot and cold), fish dishes, candies, salads and more.
Lemon Balm has also been used for atopic dermatitis because of her anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects. I recommend a body oil infusion for this and other skin irritations.
With her versatility, both internally and externally, she is a highly sought after lady and there is no question as to why. Get to know… Lemon Balm