Lemon balm thrives in cooler climates. It develops into a bushy plant with substantial roots and a stalk reaching 1-1/2 to 3 feet high. Leaves are some what smooth, hairy and heart-shaped, and smell strongly of lemon. Yellow buds open into tiny white flowers by the end of the summer.
Planting & Care.
Easy to grow, although seeds are slow to germinate. Start from cuttings, root division, or plant from containers. Plant as soon as the soil can be worked in the Spring. Accepts partial shade to full sun. Prefers moist fertile soil with good drainage.
Once established, plants endure in the garden unless a determined effort has been made to eliminate them. They reseed easily and spread wide, so provide plenty of space. In small gardens, try growing in containers to control plants. The leaves die down to the ground with the first frost. In colder winter regions place a thick layer of mulch over the crown to protect the plant. Each spring it will regrow from its roots.
Harvesting and Use.
One of the sweetest scented of all herbs, which makes it a delightful ingredient for sachets and potpourri. Fresh cut stems retain their fragrance well and lend a casual flair to floral arrangements. In the kitchen, lemon balm adds a light, lemony flavor to soups, and stews, fish, lamb and chicken. Use freshly chopped but sparingly with fruit or salads. It's a flavorful replacement for salt and an inexpensive lemon zest substitute.
Always add lemon balm near the end of cooking because its volatile oils are dissipated by heat. Its flavor keeps well in baked goods because it is captured by the surrounding medium. Use as a fresh garnish in hot tea and lemonade or brew as a tea. A leaf or two improves a glass of white wine. Along with hyssop, it is an important ingredient in the liqueur chartreuse.
Lemon balm is recognized as an aid to digestion and circulation. It is reported to help relieve feverish cols, headaches and tension. Its oil is believed to be beneficial in dressing wounds, especially insect bites.
Lemon balm is sometimes called "the scholar's herb." It is reputed to increase memory and clear the head.
History & Folklore
Lemon balm's herbal use dates back over 2000 years . The ancient Greeks and Romans used it medicinally, and information about the herb was recorded as far back as 300 B.C. in Theophrastus's Historia Plantarum.
The plant likely originated in Southern Europe and was brought to Spain by the Moors in the 7th century; by the Middle Ages it was cultivated and used throughout Europe.
The genus name, Melissa, means "bee" in Greek, and the plant was likely named for its reputed ability to attract bees. First century Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder, wrote that lemon balm planted near bee hives would encourage bees to return (38), and Gerard later claimed that rubbing the leaves on a hive would "causeth the Bees to keep together and causeth others to come unto them."
The specific epithet, officinalis, means "used in medicine" indicating that the species had historic medicinal uses. The common name is derived from the Greek word balsamon, which means balsam, or "an oily, sweet-smelling resin." Lemon balm appears in historic works under various spellings including bawme, baume, balme and baulm.
Early herbalists and writers praised lemon balm for its medicinal and uplifting qualities. Eleventh century Persian physician and philosopher Avicenna was an early advocate for the use of lemon balm in treating depression/melancholy. According to an old Arabian proverb, "Balm makes the heart merry and joyful."
First century Greek physician Dioscorides wrote that lemon balm would promote menstruation, improve gout, remedy toothaches and if mixed with wine, could be used to treat scorpion stings and dog bites. Later English herbalists John Gerard (1545-1612) and Nicholas Culpeper (1616-1654) shared Dioscorides' beliefs on many of lemon balm's uses. Gerard wrote that, "Bawme drunken in wine is good against the bitings of venomous beasts, comforts the heart, and driveth away all melancholy and sadness." He advised that the juice of lemon balm would "glueth together green wounds." Culpepper believed the herb would treat boils, cure melancholy and was good for the heart, mind, liver, spleen, digestion and fainting. According to the London Dispensary (1696) lemon balm in wine could even prevent baldness. Some sources claim that lemon balm was once believed to staunch blood flow from a sword wound but according to Pliny and Gerard, the plant in question was not actually common lemon balm (Melissa sp.), but a type of balm known as Smiths Bawme, Iron-wort or Iewes All-heale, which Gerard classified as Herba indiaca (or Herba indaica).
Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus (1493-1541) believed that lemon balm was an "elixir of life" and would increase strength and lengthen life. There are a few legends surrounding lemon balm, health and longevity, and royalty. Both King Charles V of France and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V are said to have consumed lemon balm beverages to promote health.
Members of the Carmelite religious order created a concoction known as Carmelite water or Eau de Melisse de Carmes, which was believed to promote longevity and improve headaches and neuralgia. Some sources date the creation of Carmelite water to the seventeenth century and others to the fourteenth century. The primary ingredient in Carmelite water was lemon balm, but it also contained lemon peel, nutmeg and angelica root. A version known as Klostergau Melissengeist has been sold in Germany in recent times.
In Europe, lemon balm was used as a strewing herb, and was tossed on floors to freshen rooms. It was strewn amongst church pews up to the nineteenth century. Oil from the herb was also used historically to polish furniture.
In the Victorian language of flowers, lemon balm could be added to a tussie mussie or floral bouquet to signify "social intercourse," "pleasant company of friends," "memories," "a cure," and "don't misuse me."
Lemon balm arrived in North America with the early colonists, who used it to make potpourri and tea, to attract honeybees for honey production, and as a substitute for lemons in jams and jellies. Lemon balm was also one of the plants grown at Thomas Jefferson's garden and farm.
Lemon balm has been associated with the feminine, the moon and water, and was considered a sacred herb in the temple of the Ancient Roman goddess Diana. According to magical folklore, the herb has powers of healing, success and love, and can be made into healing incense and sachets or carried to help the bearer find love.
Culpeper associated lemon balm with the planet Jupiter and the astrological constellation Cancer. Some herbalists believe lemon balm is also beneficial for the astrological signs Sagittarius and Aquarius.
Recipe: Triple Lemon- Aid
It’s late summer in the garden, and it’s too hot to do anything but enjoy a glass of icy lemonade in the shade, preferably in a hammock!
1 generous bunch of each, all with long stems:
Lemon Balm
Lemon Verbena
Mint
1 large can of frozen lemonade concentrate
Juice of 2 large Lemons
1 lemon cut into thin slices
3 cups of water
Rinse and pat dry the herbs. Place herbs in a large glass pitcher and cover with the juices. Gently stir and bruise the leaves with a large wooden spoon. Add water and lemon slices. Chill overnight, stirring occasionally, pressing down on the herbs with the wooden spoon. Pour into tall iced glasses. Garnish with a sprig of Lemon Balm and edible flower.
Serves 8 Thirsty Gardeners |
