Lemon Balm

As spring fast approaches, the first fresh shoots of Lemon Balm are beginning to peek up through the garden. It is very easy to grow and self-seeds readily. As a member of the mint family, its beautifully fresh lemon scent makes it equally at home in the kitchen as it is in the herbal medicine cupboard.

Lemon Balm has been used medicinally for over 2,000 years and has an extensive array of medicinal properties.

It is particularly renowned for its calming influence on the nervous system and is a wonderful gentle nervine, helping to ease:

• Anxiety

• Nervous tension

• Stress

• Restlessness

• An overactive mind

• Mild low mood

• Tension headaches

• Nervous exhaustion

• Difficulty sleeping

I particularly love Lemon Balm as an evening tea when life feels busy. A warm cup before bed can help encourage relaxation and a more restful night's sleep.

Lemon Balm is also a beautiful herb for the nervous stomach, helping to settle digestive discomfort, particularly when it is aggravated by stress or tension.

It can help to:

• Ease stomach upsets

• Reduce bloating and wind

• Calm mild nausea

• Relieve digestive cramping and spasms

• Support sluggish digestion

• Settle stress-related digestive discomfort

Its gentle antispasmodic and calming properties make it a particularly lovely herb when your stomach feels tense, unsettled or knotted.

Lemon Balm also has impressive antiviral properties and is particularly well known for its use in supporting the treatment of cold sores caused by the herpes simplex virus.

It is also a lovely herb to include in your herbal medicine cupboard during cold and flu season, where its antiviral, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can provide gentle support.

Other medicinal properties include:

• Antiviral

• Antioxidant

• Anti-inflammatory

• Antispasmodic

• Nervine and calming

• Digestive support

• May support memory and cognitive function

• Traditionally used to support mental clarity and concentration

Research has also explored Lemon Balm's potential role in supporting memory, concentration and cognitive function, including its possible use in supporting age-related cognitive decline.

Lemon Balm has a long and fascinating history.

Its botanical name, Melissa, means honey bee in Greek, and the plant has been associated with bees since ancient times. The Greeks believed that Lemon Balm was a sacred plant connected with the nurturing of bees, and it was often planted near hives to attract and encourage them.

Beekeepers have traditionally rubbed fresh Lemon Balm leaves inside empty hives or around new hives to encourage bees to settle there. The scent of the leaves is thought to be particularly attractive to them.

In Greek mythology, Melissa was also the name of a nymph who cared for and nourished the infant Zeus, feeding him honey. According to legend, she became associated with bees and was transformed into one.

The ancient Greek physician Dioscorides wrote about Lemon Balm, and it was later widely used throughout Europe as a herb of healing, happiness and longevity.

In the Middle Ages, Lemon Balm became strongly associated with love. It was said that carrying the herb could attract affection, while placing it beneath a pillow was believed to encourage dreams of one's future lover.

It was also planted around homes and doorways as a protective herb, believed to ward off negative influences and evil spirits.

The great Swiss physician Paracelsus referred to Lemon Balm as the "elixir of life", believing it to have the power to restore vitality and prolong life.

Lemon Balm was also a key ingredient in the famous Carmelite Water, an aromatic herbal preparation created by Carmelite monks in the 14th century. The traditional recipe combined Lemon Balm with other aromatic herbs and spices and was used as a remedy for headaches, nervous complaints and digestive discomfort.

As well as being medicinal, Lemon Balm is a versatile culinary herb.

Its fresh, lemony flavor works well in:

• Hot herbal infusions

• Iced teas and summer drinks

• Cordials

• Cocktails

• Fruit salads

• Green salads

• Potato salads

• Cucumber salads

• Pesto and herb sauces

The roughly chopped fresh leaves add a delicate citrus flavor without the sharp acidity of lemon.

You can also bruise the leaves and add them to cold water with slices of lemon or cucumber for a refreshing summer drink.

Traditionally, crushed Lemon Balm leaves have also been rubbed onto the skin because their aromatic oils can help discourage insects, while leaving behind their beautiful fresh scent.

With its tiny white flowers, Lemon Balm is loved by bees and other pollinators.

An easy plant to grow, beautiful for the bees, delicious in the kitchen and full of medicinal virtues, Lemon Balm is one of those herbs that is always worth making space for in the garden.

Want to learn more about herbal medicine?

Lemon Balm is just one of the many medicinal plants explored in my Grassroots Herbalism guide. If you'd like to deepen your knowledge of the plants growing around you and learn how to use them as everyday food and medicine, this guide is a wonderful place to start.