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| Lemon Balm/Sweet Melissa/Melissa Officinalis |
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| Bonnie Plants "How to Grow Lemon Balm" |
(AKA Lemon Balm)
I was introduced to Lemon Balm by a learned friend who pointed it out where
it grew wild along the fence at our high school. The plant was a differently-flavored member of the mint family,
and we chewed the fresh leaves and stalks for a lemony-tasting, relaxing treat. A mild sedative, the plant has long been put to an array of uses in natural medicine, particularly as a treatment for anxiety and to relieve cold sores.
Read "My Love of Sweet Melissa" for a brief introduction to growing Melissa Officinalis, mixing it with other herbs to make a healthful and
delicious tea, and a video lesson on how to use this common, easy-to-grow plant to make a lip balm to ease
cold sores. 101 Natural Medicine's Heather Schulte tells how to make Lemon Balm Herb Tea, either from the dried plant or fresh cuttings. Lindsay Wolsey wrote in Dr. Christopher's Herbal Legacy that the plant's Greek name, "Melissa," means "bee." Hence, one of the plant's common names is bee
balm. Her article is another resource for the history, growing, and uses of this wonderful plant from nature's garden.
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