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Lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Lamiaceae. It has lemon-scented leaves, white or pale pink flowers, and contains essential oils and compounds like geranial and neral. It grows to a maximum height of . The species is Native plant to south-central Europe, the Mediterranean, Central Asia, and Iran, is now naturalized worldwide and grows easily from seed in rich, moist soil.
The name Melissa officinalis comes from the Greek word for “honey bee,” due to the plant’s bee-attracting flowers, and the Latin officinalis, referring to its traditional use in Apothecary. It has been cultivated (and used to attract honey bees) since at least the 16th century. Lemon balm grows vigorously from seed or vegetative fragments in temperate zones, with key producers like Hungary, Egypt, and Italy cultivating various Cultivar for hand-harvested leaves and low-yield essential oil, notably in Ireland. Lemon balm is used in Carmelite Water, as an ornamental plant, in Perfume and toothpaste, as a raw or cooked herb in various foods and Tea, and is valued for its bee-attracting properties and aromatic essential oils.
Lemon balm plants grow bushy and upright to a maximum height of . The heart-shaped leaves are long, and have a rough, veined surface. They are soft and hairy with scalloped edges, and have a mild lemon scent. During summer, small white or pale pink appear. The plants live for ten years; the crop plant is replaced after five years to allow the ground to rejuvenate.
| + Composition of lemon balm oil |
| 8.6 |
| 8.4 |
| 2.7 |
| 36.1 |
| 47.5 |
| 6.2 |
| 9.7 |
| 9.0 |
The second name, officinalis (Latin, 'of the shop'), originates from the use of the herb by Apothecary, who sold herbal remedies directly to their customers.
, Hungary, Egypt, and Italy are the major producing countries of lemon balm. The leaves are harvested by hand in June and August in the northern hemisphere, on a day when the weather is dry, to prevent the crop from turning black if damp.
The of M. officinalis include:
The plant is grown and sold as an ornamental plant, and for attracting bees. The essential oil is used as a perfume ingredient and in toothpaste. The young leaves can be eaten raw.
Lemon balm is used as a flavouring in ice cream and herbal teas, often in combination with other such as spearmint. The leaves can be dried when used for tea. It is a common addition to peppermint tea, mostly because of its complementing flavor. Lemon balm is also used with fruit dishes or candy. It can be used in fish dishes and is the main ingredient in lemon balm pesto. Its flavour comes from geraniol (3–40%), neral (3–35%), geranial (4–85%) (both of citral), (0–14%), and citronellal (1–44%). It is also one of the ingredients in Spreewald gherkins.
Lemon balm was a favourite plant of the Tudors, who scattered the leaves across their floors. It was in the herbal garden of the English botanist John Gerard in the 1590s, who considered it especially good for feeding and attracting . Especially cultivated for honey production, according to the authors Janet Dampney and Elizabeth Pomeroy, "bees were thought never to leave a garden in which it was grown". It was introduced to North America by the first colonists from Europe; it was cultivated in the Gardens of Monticello, designed by the American statesman Thomas Jefferson.
The English botanist Nicholas Culpeper considered lemon balm to be ruled by the planet Jupiter in Cancer, and suggested it to be used for "weak stomachs", to cause the heart to become "merry", to help digestion, to open "obstructions of the brain", and to expel "melancholia vapors" from the heart and arteries. 'Balm water' or 'Aqua Melissa' was used as a healthy beverage from the 18th century.
In traditional Austrian medicine, M. officinalis leaves have been prescribed as an herbal tea, or as an external application in the form of an essential oil.
In history
The use of lemon balm can be dated to over 2,000 years ago through the Ancient Greece and the Ancient Rome. It is mentioned by the Greek polymath Theophrastus in his Historia Plantarum, written in 300 BC, as "bee-leaf" (μελισσόφυλλον). Lemon balm was formally introduced into Europe in the 7th century, from which its use and domestication spread. Its use in the Middle Ages is noted by Herbal medicine, writers, , and scientists.
Notes
Works cited
(1992). 9789251031285, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. . ISBN 9789251031285
(2025). 9783642245640, Springer. ISBN 9783642245640
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