| Description | Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the mint family widely grown for its leaves. They are used in many cooking, medicinal, and scent applications. |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | (mel-ISS-ah)(oh-fiss-ih-NAH-liss) |
| Plant Type | Perennials Hardy, Site author's observations, Herbs |
| Hardiness Zone | 3 |
| Sunlight | full, mostly sunny, with some shade |
| Moisture | average |
| Soil & Site | average |
| Flowers | small, two-lipped, white, appear in the leaf axils, ornamentally inconspicuous, good pollinator |
| Leaves | edible, added to salads, soups, sauces, or vegetables to flavor teas, dried and added to sachets and potpourri, fragrant |
| Stems | square, which is typical of the mint family |
| Dimensions | 1.5 to 2 by 2 plus feet (HS) |
| Maintenance | pruning to maintain shape, pruning off the flowers is a personal choice, but doing this will increase the production of new leaves, which is usually the reason for growing this herb |
| Propagation | seeds, cuttings |
| Native Site | The species plant Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm) is native to southern Europe and northern Africa. Found growing in waste places, roadsides, and disturbed lands. It has escaped cultivation and established itself in England, northern Europe, and North America. |
| Misc Facts | The Lemon Balm has innumerable decorative, culinary, household, cosmetic, medicinal, and aromatic uses. It was used 2000 years ago by the Greeks and was called "hearts delight." "Balm" is short for balsam, a term used for many fragrant plants. "Grown by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello".(#190) |
| Author's Notes | It is hard to walk past a Lemon Balm plant and not pick off a leaf and crush it for the scent. |
| Notes & Reference | #44-The Complete Book of Herbs (Lesley Bremness), #144-Missouri Botanical Gardens website (www.missouribotanicalgarden.org), #190-Rodales Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs |
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