Written by: Dr. Frannie Koe, MD
Edited by: Breanne Brazeale
Lemon balm, scientific name Melissa officinalis, is so easy to grow, it is almost foolproof. Like most other members of the mint family, lemon balm spreads easily after it becomes established. It does well in container gardens, raised beds and can even be grown indoors in a sunny window. Also, like other members of the mint family, it has a square stem, which is a characteristic all plants in the Lamiaceae family share. This distinctive characteristic has stuck with me since I learned it, and makes plants related to mint easier to identify.
I have found lemon balm to be really hardy; because it is an herbaceous perennial, it will die back in the winter and return even more vigorously in the spring. Mine is in my garden near the mint bed, which I think is actually spearmint. I may move my lemon balm, although I have been told that the two mints will not mix with each other. The scientific name for the plant comes from the Greek word Melissa, which means bee. The bees and other pollinators love lemon balm. I love to smell it when I rub it between my fingers. I think I love anything citrus because of the combination of sweet and sour together.
Every herb book I own has a page or more on Melissa officinalis. I have many herbal and botanical reference books, at least a dozen or more. When I want to learn about a new plant, I will go look it up in several sources in order to see what different people say about it. By writing about each new herb, both here on the site and in my personal Materia Medica, I can more easily remember their uses, applications, and methods of growing. Many of us learn more readily with practical applications than we do with simple memorization.
Some of my frequently used references include Herbs by Jennie Harding, Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide, an older book from the 1970s called Herbal Medicine, the Natural Way to Get Well and Stay Well by Dian Dincin Bachman, Ph.D., and The Way of HERBS by Michael Tierra, L. Ac., OMD.
What do the credentials listed above stand for? L. Ac. means the person is a licensed acupuncturist. O.M.D. stands for a Doctor of Oriental Medicine. Individuals who hold these credentials are trained extensively in acupuncture or using herbal remedies and the science behind plant medicine. We have a member of our support team that holds these credentials as well, Dr. Sarita Cox! You will see more of her work, including a video series about the process of acupuncture, here on AgroshareMD.com.
We can enjoy lemon balm in many ways, including alcohol-free glycerites (tinctures made with vegetable glycerin instead of alcohol) which are great for children (Gladstar 354), and fresh leaves added to salads and other dishes. But my favorite way to take advantage of lemon balm’s gently supportive qualities is by preparing an herbal infusion. An infusion is usually made by adding the more delicate aerial parts of the plants (leaves and blossoms) to hot water and letting them steep for several minutes (or longer, depending on the desired strength of the infusion). They are never boiled. By contrast, a decoction is an herbal preparation made with the tougher, woodier parts of the plants such as berries, seeds, bark and roots by actively boiling them in hot water, covered, until the desired strength is reached (sometimes for 20-45 minutes) (Gladstar 381).
I have a tea press that I can put the leaves in and steep them in hot water. Although lemon balm has a relatively refreshing and pleasantly mild taste compared to many other herbs, (I’m looking at you, valerian!), I have gotten into the habit of adding sweetener to my herbal teas because I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to even slightly bitter flavors! I use Good Earth sweetener almost exclusively now.
Lemon balm is classified as being a nervine. This means it has gentle calming, stress easing, and anxiety soothing actions (Gladstar 345). In his book, The Way of Herbs, (Tierra 151) Michael Tierra describes lemon balm diaphoretic, antispasmodic, and carminative. In other words, it contains biochemical plant constituents that are known to reduce fevers and aid digestive issues. Similar to other plants in the mint family, lemon balm tea can ease gas and mild symptoms of upset stomach (Tierra 152). It has gentle properties that can be used for children. The leaves are used to make the tea.
Lemon balm leaves can also be made into an ointment or cream that is then applied topically to address herpes simplex symptoms on the mouth (Tierra 152, Gladstar 345). Lemon balm is frequently mentioned in all of my herbal resource books as being a gently effective tonic for anxiety, depression, and taking away melancholy (Gladstar 345).
I will focus on herbs that I either grow in my garden, or readily grow here in north Alabama and the southern US. But if you have any plants you would like us to feature, please contact us! As always, the information here has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not medical advice; it is for education purposes only. Please consult your health care provider before changing your diet or adding any herbs to your health routine.
References:
Gladstar, Rosemary. Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. Storey, 2008.
Tierra, Michael, L. Ac., O.M.D. The Way of Herbs. 4th ed., Pocket Books, 1998.
