What is Lemon Balm?
Well, it’s an extremely useful herb that has been used for hundreds of years by people all over the world.
That’s my specimen on the left.
It’s a perennial herb (Melissa Officinalis) that is a member of the mint family. It’s native to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean.
It grows to a height of about 70-150cm and the leaves have a lemon scent (hence the name!). The leaves are wrinkled and the colour varies from green to a yellowy-green depending on the soil and climate.
In Summer, the small, white flowers attract bees as they are bursting with nectar. In fact, the Greek word, Melissa, means ‘honey bee’.
The herb needs lots of light and a temperature of about 20C (not always possible in the wilds of Yorkshire!). It will quite happily seed itself and, as a result, is sometimes considered to be a weed.
Uses of Lemon Balm
- Used to flavour ice cream, teas and sweets (candy!)
- The crushed leaves can repel mosquitos when rubbed onto the skin
- It can help to reduce stress as it has a ‘calming agent’
- It makes can strengthen mental performance and improve your mood
- There have been clinical trials to test its effectiveness on Alzheimer patients
- Antibacterial uses
- High in antioxidants
- Can be distilled into essential oil
- Sometimes used in toothpaste
- Used in furniture polish
- Added to liquers
- In the Middle Ages, it was used to promote sleep, improve appetite and treat cold sores
Growing Lemon Balm
Lemon Balm plants should be spaced about 12-15 inches apart and, if growing from seed, they take about 12-21 days to germinate.
Lemon Balm will survive the Winter if it has plenty of mulch. A good idea is to plant it in pots and containers to prevent it spreading all over the garden. It likes lots of sun and prefers well-drained soil but should be kept moist.
Whitefly, powdery mildew, thrip and spider mites like this herb every bit as much as humans!
Storing Lemon Balm
The herb can be frozen by washing the stems, drying and then placing onto a baking tray that then pops into the freezer. When frozen, the leaves can be removed and transferred into an air-tight container in the freezer.
You can also dry the plant by bundling the stems together, tying them and then hanging them up to dry (it’s best if they’re in an airy location). Once fully dry, put into an air-tight container to store.
Now obviously, drying and freezing will reduce the herbs effectiveness slightly, but it’s a great way to have it around all year long.
More Lemon Balm Resources
If you want more, here’s a video to reinforce just how useful this herb is.
So, if you haven’t grown this herb before, give it a try and see if you can use it in some of the many ways mentioned above.
Alan
