Lemon Balm

Botanical Name: Melissa officinalis

Family: Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

Other Names: Cure all, garden balm, heart’s delight, honey balm, honey plant, lemon balm, melissa, sweet balm, sweet melissa, common balm

Habitat: Hedges, roadsides

Description: Herbaceous perennial. 90cm/3ft. Stem-hairy and square. Leaves-opposite, stalked, hairy, 3-4cm long, ovate, wrinkled, coarse serrate margin, rounded base and lemon scented. Flower-small yellow buds that turn into white or pink flowers June-August

Aroma: Sweet, tangy

Native to: West Asia, Southern Europe, North America, and North Africa

Cultivated in: France, Spain, UK, Germany, and Russia

Parts used: Aerial parts

Cultivation: Moist soil, full sun, midday shade.

Propagation: Sow seeds indoors in spring. Thin established seedlings to 5cm/2" apart. When they are about 4" tall, plant in garden 1' apart. Cut old stems down in autumn.

Harvesting: Leaves may be gathered at any time. Dry shoots in shade below 35C

Actions: Antiallergenic, antibacterial, antidepressant, antihistamine, antispasmodic, antiviral, bactericidal, carminative, choleretic, cordial, diaphoretic, digestive, emmenagogue, febrifuge, hypertensive, insect-repellent, nervine, mild sedative, stomachic, sudorific, tonic, uterine, vermifuge

Extraction: Steam distillation of leaves and flowering tops

Constituents: Citronellol, eugenol, geraniol, linalyl acetate, citronellic, geranyl acetate.

Volatile oil consisting of alpha and beta citral, caryophyllene oxide, linalool, citronellal, germacrene D, alpha caryophyllene, nerol, geraniol, traces of eugenyl acetate, cis- and trans-beta-ocimene, copaene, alpha-cubebene

Flavonoids –cyanaroside, cosmosiin, isoquercitrin, luteolin –7-glucoside and rhamnazin

Polyphenolics –protocatechuic acid, caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, tannins

Triterpenic acids –ursolic, pomolic acids

Combines with: Frankincense, geranium, ginger, jasmine, lavender, neroli, rose, rosemary, ylang ylang

Note: Middle

Traditional Uses: Nervous disorders, digestive and respiratory disorders

Culinary Uses: Meat, drinks, salads, soups

Skin: Allergies, insect bites, acne, boils, sores, cold sores

Respiratory: Asthma, bronchitis, chronic coughs, and catarrh

Digestive: Colic, indigestion, nausea

Genito-urinary: Menstrual problems

Nervous system: Nervousness, depression, headaches, and hypertension

Other Uses: Toiletries

Other Notes: Balm is a shortened form of balsam, deriving from Latin balsamum balsam tree.

  Paracelsus called it the “Elixir of life”

  Melissa comes from the Greek word Melittena meaning bee, because bees are very attracted to the plant

  Melissa is the name of the Greek nymph who protects bees

  In Greek mythology the bees fed baby Jupiter honey

  Sacred to the goddess Diana