Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Herb/Forb
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences:	Mesic Dry Mesic Dry
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 4a -34.4 °C (-30 °F) to -31.7 °C (-25 °F)
Maximum recommended zone:	Zone 9b
Plant Height:	20 to 24 inches
Leaves:	Fragrant
Flowers:	Inconspicuous
Flower Color:	White
Flower Time:	Summer Late summer or early fall
Uses:	Culinary Herb Medicinal Herb Will Naturalize Suitable as Annual
Dynamic Accumulator:	P (Phosphorus)
Wildlife Attractant:	Bees Butterflies
Resistances:	Drought tolerant
Propagation: Seeds:	Depth to plant seed: cover the seeds very thin Suitable for wintersowing Sow in situ Start indoors Can handle transplanting Other info: self-seeds
Propagation: Other methods:	Cuttings: Stem Division
Pollinators:	Bees
Containers:	Suitable in 1 gallon Suitable in 3 gallon or larger

Common names

Lemon Balm

Photo Gallery

Location: Lake Bluff, Il
Date: 2012-05-07
Lemon Balm

Uploaded by Fran

Location: Riverview, Robson, B.C.
Date: 2006-06-29
Lemon Balm nestles at the base of the English Walnut tree.

Uploaded by HemNorth

Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2015-07-16

Uploaded by Daylilybaby

Uploaded by Shannon

Location: Northeastern Texas
Date: July 2010
Lemon balm begins to flower mid summer.

Uploaded by wildflowers

Uploaded by carlysuko

Uploaded by LizDTM

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2011-08-18
w/ Cabbage White butterfly

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: My patio zone 9 Louisiana
Date: 2018-06-23
Best in full sun

Uploaded by tabbycat

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2018-04-04
New seedlings

Uploaded by wildflowers

Uploaded by christinereid54

Uploaded by rakami

Uploaded by admin

Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2010-08-30

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Location: Middle Tennessee
Date: 7/19/2011
Lemon balm plant with small piece of lemon sage in foreground

Uploaded by SongofJoy

Location: Middle Tennessee
Date: 2014-06-28
new leaves

Uploaded by SongofJoy

Location: Kyle, Texas
Date: 2018-05-11
Once established, hard to kill!

Uploaded by christinereid54

Uploaded by Daylilybaby

Uploaded by Bubbles

Uploaded by vic

Location: Ingleside. Illinois
Date: 2021-10-03

Uploaded by antsinmypants

Uploaded by ljones26

Location: indoors, under lights
Date: november 17th 2014

Uploaded by alex22ccc

Uploaded by TexasPlumeria87

Uploaded by admin

Uploaded by admin

Uploaded by admin

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2014-10-11

Uploaded by jmorth

Photo Courtesy of Select Seeds. Used with permission.

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by LizDTM

Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2011-07-21

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Location: English Gardens, Dearborn Hts, MI
Date: 2013-09-17

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by Daylilybaby

Location: Cooks Nursery, Orem, Utah
Date: 2012-03-26

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by lisam0313

Location: Indiana Zone 5
Date: 7-25-2012

Uploaded by gardengus

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2012-05-02

Uploaded by wildflowers

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2015-10-22

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: Yukon, Oklahoma
Date: 2012-05-22

Uploaded by keyi

Location: Kitchen Garden
Date: 2014-09-09
End of Summer

Uploaded by MotherRaphaela

Location: Cedarhome, Washington
Date: 2014-03-13
Emerging in spring

Uploaded by Bonehead

Location: Pembroke, GA
Date: 2014-01-23
Photo courtesy of Santa Rosa Gardens. Used with permission.

Uploaded by Lalambchop1

Location: Malakoff TX
Date: 2015-05-22
My lemon balm returning from last year - love to make tea from th

Uploaded by jcole96

Uploaded by DianeSeeds

Uploaded by vic

Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-07-05

Uploaded by chelle

Uploaded by chelle

Uploaded by Shannon

Uploaded by EricaBraun

Location: Indiana Zone 5
Date: 2012-03-09
newly emerging, in spring

Uploaded by gardengus

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by wildflowers (North East Texas - Zone 7b) on Dec 5, 2011 7:00 PM concerning plant:

Grows to 24” high. Perennial herb, comes back from roots in spring here in 7b. Vigorous grower with crinkles, dull green leaves with white blossoms.
Prefers full sun. Harvest mature leaves for teas, soups, meats, fish, summer drinks. Lemon balm has citronella compounds that make this a good bug deterrent. Crush leaves on your skin to keep mosquitoes away and sprinkle throughout the garden in an herbal powder mixture to deter many bugs. Plant to ward off squash bugs.

Lemon Balm is anti-viral, so the tea is great to drink if you’re feeling under the weather. The hot tea brings on a sweat-good for relieving colds, flus and fevers. An anti-viral agent has been found that combats mumps, cold sores and other viruses and might also help with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and shingles, due to the anti-viral action. It has medicinal qualities as a tranquilizer and, calms a nervous stomach, colic, or heart spasms. The leaves are reputed to also lower blood pressure. It is very gentle, although effective, so is often suggested for children and babies.

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Posted by Catmint20906 (PNW WA half hour south of Olympia - Zone 8a) on Aug 1, 2014 8:46 PM concerning plant:

Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm) attracts beneficial insects to the garden, including parasitic mini-wasps, hoverflies, and tachinid flies. These beneficial insects eat a variety of common garden pests such as aphids, armyworms, codling moths, European corn borer, flies, gypsy moths, cabbageworms, May beetles, sawflies, squash bug, and many other caterpillars and insects.

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Posted by SongofJoy (Clarksville, TN - Zone 6b) on Jun 28, 2014 8:57 AM concerning plant:

I have this in a container by the carport rain barrel and also some growing in a raised planter just outside the door to the deck. Works great to repel mosquitoes in the general vicinity of the plant. I like to keep it near the deck chairs as well. It is aggressive and will spread easily here so keep a close eye on it if you don't want that to happen.

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Posted by Mindy03 (Delta KY) on Apr 23, 2012 4:41 PM concerning plant:

Honey bees get nectar and pollen from this plant.

Reply to this comment
Posted by Bonehead (Planet Earth - Zone 8b) on Oct 2, 2013 10:59 AM concerning plant:

Melissa means bee in Greek, and this plant is very attractive to pollinators.

Reply to this comment
Posted by sedumzz (Fairfax VA - Zone 7a) on May 16, 2021 8:05 AM concerning plant:

Sedumzz' Plant Review

This plant randomly popped up in my garden. It smells nice. It is behaving quite nicely in the mint bed. Max loves it for some reason. It is very good for tea.

Reply to this comment
Posted by jmorth (central Illinois) on Dec 6, 2011 12:51 AM concerning plant:

Self seeds rather prolifically.

Reply to this comment

Plant Events from our members
piksihk	On April 27, 2019	Plant Ended (Removed, Died, Discarded, etc)
piksihk	On March 26, 2016	Transplanted HW
aspenhill	On May 19, 2012	Obtained plant DG John and Ruby (rubyw) - qty 2
p1mkw	On January 31, 2015	Seeds sown
variegatagal	On May 8, 2023	Potted up Several rooted divisions
variegatagal	On May 3, 2022	Potted up
variegatagal	On April 6, 2022	Obtained plant North Haven Gardens (x2)
variegatagal	On May 5, 2018	Potted up Half dozen seedlings
variegatagal	On January 1, 2018	Plant Ended (Removed, Died, Discarded, etc) Died in 2017.
variegatagal	On March 25, 2017	Potted up Added to cat planter, transplanted to windowsill planters
variegatagal	On August 27, 2016	Transplanted Calloway's Nursery 1801 FM423, Little Elm, TX 75068 windowsill planter
variegatagal	On July 31, 2016	Plant Ended (Removed, Died, Discarded, etc) Dried out in cat planter
variegatagal	On March 19, 2016	Obtained plant Texas Seasons Nursery & Landscape 807 N Preston Rd, Celina, TX 75009
variegatagal	On March 19, 2016	Transplanted cat planter
carlysuko	On April 30, 2018	Obtained plant From La Costa Anderson's Nursery.
antsinmypants	On April 16, 2021	Seeds sown In unheated greenhouse. Plug flat one row 8.
pinetastic	On May 13, 2023	Obtained plant
Retro67	On December 30, 2023	Obtained plant Obtained seeds from Plantland.

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Melissa Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Melissa
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)