Lemon balm – Melissa officinalis

Its name comes from the Greek melissophullon, “bee leaf”. A cousin of mint, lemon balm forms a clump 30 to 80 cm tall with small, crinkled leaves that release a lemony scent when crushed. Not to be confused with lemongrass (Cymbopogon).

• Botanical name: Melissa officinalis
• Height: 30 to 80 cm
• Uses: herbal teas, desserts, salads
• Flowering: small white flowers in summer, much visited by bees
• Exposure: sun or partial shade

In the garden

It prefers moist, fertile soil but adapts almost anywhere. Quite invasive, it thrives along borders, at the foot of a hedge or in a pot divided regularly. Reputed to keep mosquitoes away, it has its place near the summer table.

The plant you receive

A farm-grown plant raised outdoors at 1,000 m altitude in the Livradois-Forez Regional Nature Park: never in a heated greenhouse, fed with organic fertiliser only and grown following permaculture principles.