No showy, colorful flowers or incredible foliage will draw you to this plant. It stands modestly to the side until you accidentally brush against her leaves and then you pause to inhale a wonderful breath of lemony fragrance. The scent is so fresh and uplifting that you may well return to this quiet plant again and again.
Lemon Balm also known as Balm mint (it does belong to the family of mints, Labiatae), Bee Balm, Blue Balm, Cure all, Honey Plant, Melissa, Sweet Balm. All these names hint at some of its properties. The bees love this fragrant plant even though its blue-white or pale yellow flowers are small and grow in clusters in summer. Balm and bees have been linked since ancient times. Melissa comes from the Greek for ‘Honey Bee” and supposedly Lemon Balm has the same healing and tonic properties as honey and royal jelly. The ancient Greeks placed sprigs of Balm in beehives to attract a swarm.
Lemon Balm is a perennial and produces upright stems growing to a 3-foot bush. It is very easy to grow from seed. It prefers some partial shade; a well-drained soil and it will die back in winter. The time to harvest its leaves is before flowering. There is nothing like a fresh cup of Lemon Balm tea made from your garden.
Originally grown in the Orient, Arab traders introduced this herb to Spain. Still popular in Europe it is now grown in parts of the United States. The ancients thought of this herb as the elixir of Life with amazing powers of longevity. Throughout history it was used as a “cure all” for everything.
Today it is still used to treat a variety of physical conditions. Lemon Balm promotes sweating and menstruation. It is also recommended to treat headaches, flatulence and in particular stress and hypertension, as it is very calming and soothing. In Germany, Balm is used widely as a tranquilizer and sedative. It also helps with bronchitis and some forms of asthma. By relaxing the smooth muscle tissue of the digestive tract it aids with digestion problems. Use the crushed leaves as a poultice for sores and insect bites. Balm can also help fight mumps, herpes and other viruses.
A truly powerful herb, yet at the same time subtle, gentle and so giving of itself. The fragrance of this plant alone is uplifting and cheerful causing “the mind and heart to be merry”
