Lemon balm
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), is a perennial herbaceous plant in the mint family and native to south-central Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, Iran, and Central Asia, but now naturalized in the Americas and elsewhere.
Description[edit | edit source]
Lemon balm plants grow up to 70–150 cm tall. The leaves have a gentle lemon scent, related to mint. During summer, small white flowers full of nectar appear. It is not to be confused with bee balm (genus Monarda), although the white flowers attract bees, hence the genus Melissa (Greek for 'honey bee').
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Lemon balm is often used as a flavouring in ice cream and herbal teas, both hot and iced, often in combination with other herbs such as spearmint. It is also frequently paired with fruit dishes or candies.
Medicinal uses[edit | edit source]
Lemon balm is used medicinally as a herbal tea, or in extract form. It is claimed to have antibacterial, antiviral properties, and it is also used as a mild sedative or calming agent. Its use in Alzheimer's disease patients has been studied due to its possible beneficial effects on cognition.
Culinary uses[edit | edit source]
Lemon balm is used in traditional dishes from various cuisines, including Italian and Greek. It is also used to flavor teas, both hot and iced, and is sometimes used in wines and spirits.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
External links[edit | edit source]
Template:Medicinal plants Template:Culinary herbs and spices-stub
Resources[edit source]
Latest articles - Lemon balm
AI tools[edit source]
Generative AI tools and links to learn more on Lemon balm: ChatGPT - Bing Chat - Google Gemini. (caution advised).
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