The Beauty of Lemon Balm…

June 23, 2014

  

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a member of the mint family.  For the past few years, I have grown it in my herb garden where it has expanded and expanded and expanded.  When it finally made the leap across the cinderblock barrier, which lies between my herb garden and the yard, I knew I had to do something.  So this year I dug it up and unceremoniously plopped it into a good-sized planter.  At the time, I didn’t care if it survived or not.  However, it seems to be thriving. 

I don’t mean to disparage lemon balm.  It’s a wonderful herb and has many uses.  First of all, it has a light refreshing lemon scent.  It has been used commercially in furniture polish, cosmetics and medications.  It can be dried and added to potpourri to make your home smell nice.  It can also be added sparingly to salads or when cooking pork to add a light lemony taste.  It has been studied for its effectiveness in lowering blood pressure, as an aid in the healing of both oral and genital herpes due to its anti-viral properties, as a sleep aid and stress reliever, as a digestive aid, and even in treating agitation associated with Alzheimer’s disease. 

I make a tea of lemon balm by collecting four or five sprigs from the plant, wash them and remove any questionable parts, then add them to a medium-sized sauce pan of boiling water.  I let it steep for about seven minutes (with the lid on the pan to preserve all the good stuff before it evaporates).  I then remove it from the heat and let it sit for about a half hour.  The tea can be flavored with honey, agave syrup, sugar, or your favorite sweetener.  You can drink it hot or cold; either way, it’s a pleasant and natural drink.

The prolific lemon balm plant seems to have a lot going for it and although I would stop short at saying you should plant it in your herb garden, I firmly believe it is a great container plant that you can sit next to your garden.

A close-up of my lemon balm.  The leaves are rough and smell
like lemons when you rub it between your fingers or crush it in your hand.

Although I usually cut it off with the weed eater, I let this "escapee"
lemon balm grow for a week so you can see how a crop of it can
develop rather quickly.  (Remember...it's definitely a "thinks
outside the box" type of herb, so keep that in mind when deciding
on a location if you choose to add it to your garden.)

A container of lemon balm that sits near the edge of my garden,
beside the compost bins.  My particular plant seems to be tolerant
of almost any condition...dry, wet, sun or shade.

A cold glass of lemon balm tea is refreshing after working
in the garden on a hot summer morning.