Lemon Balm

Melissa officinalis

herb

Lemon balm is a bushy, lemon-scented perennial in the mint family, native to southern Europe and northern Africa and hardy from roughly zones 3 to 9. It forms branching clumps about two feet tall of soft, crinkled leaves that release a bright lemon fragrance when crushed. Easy to grow and almost pest-free, it is valued for soothing teas and for flavoring salads, fish, and desserts. Like its mint relatives it spreads, both by expanding clumps and by self-seeding, so it is often kept in a pot or a contained bed.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Tomatoes — Lemon scent may deter aphids and repel some flying pests
• Squash — Attracts pollinators with its flowers
• Brassicas — The scent helps mask brassica volatiles from pests
• Melons — Draws bees with abundant small flowers

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Aphids →

  Plant near roses and vegetable crops as a deterrent; the lemon scent confuses many pest insects

• Squash bugs →

  Interplant near cucurbits; provides aromatic disruption

• Powdery mildew →

  Thin clumps for airflow; avoid overwatering

🌾 Harvest & storage

Harvest leaves any time, but the lemon scent is strongest just before flowering, so cut several inches of top growth as bloom begins. On established plants you can take two or three cuttings a season, and each hard cut is rewarded with vigorous regrowth. Use the leaves fresh for the best flavor, since lemon balm loses much of its aroma when dried, and fresh sprigs make excellent hot or iced tea. To preserve a surplus, dry the stems quickly on screens in a dark, airy room, then store in an airtight jar, or freeze them.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Lemon balm is best known for rosmarinic acid and other flavonoid antioxidants, the compounds behind its traditional use as a calming tea to ease stress and support sleep, and it has a long folk history as a digestive herb. It is used in small amounts as a flavoring or tea rather than as a food, so it adds little in calories, supplying only minor vitamin C and calcium. The lemon flavor and aromatic oils are strongest in fresh leaves.