Lemon balm

Etymology

Melissa officinalis: the Latin name for this herb comes from the Greek meliteion, which means “lemon balm”. The word stem meli (Greek for “honey”) comes from the fact that lemon balm is cultivated as a plant for bees. Officinalis means “officially used as a medicinal plant”.

Melissa officinalis

Characteristics

Plant family	Lamiaceae (labiate)
Flowering season	June to August
Harvest	Harvest Before flowering: June to August
Origin	Eastern Mediterranean and western Asia
Vegetation	Dry grassland, shrubs, sparse forests

History

Eternally popular

Saint Hildegard wrote about lemon balm as far back as the 11th century: “Lemon balm contains within it the virtues of a dozen other plants”, being especially adept at relieving anxiety and sleeplessness.