Melissa officinalis [mel-ISS-uh oh-fiss-ih-NAH-liss]
FAMILY: Labiatae
Names: Common balm, lemon balm, melissa, sweet balm; bee balm; heart's delight; honey plant; Zitronenmelisse, Melisse, Herztrost (German); citronelle, baume, mélisse, Herbe citron (French); melissa (Italian); Sidrunmeliss (Estonian); Badrangbuye, Farandj moschk (Farsi); Sitruunamelissa (Finnish); Mézfû, Orvosi citromfû, Macskaméz, Anyaméhfû (Hungarian); Sítrónumelissa, Hjartafró (Icelandic); Sitronmelisse (Norwegian); Melisa lekarska, rojownik (Polish); Melissa limonnaya, Limonnik (Russian); Balsamita maior, Toronjil (Spanish); Citronmeliss, Hjärtansfröjd (Swedish); Melisa, Ogul out (Turkish)
Description: Bushy, rounded herbs. Height 3 feet; width 2 feet; flowers: small, white, tubeshaped, 1/3 inch long; leaves: oval, coming to a point, serrated around the edges and strongly lemon-scented, 1 to 3 inches long.
Blooms May to August and into the fall in the Southern United States. May go somewhat dormant during very hot, humid summers.
Cultivation: Perennial Zone 3. Performs best in a fertile soil with a pH of 5 to 7. Seeds may be sown in the garden, either broadcast in one spot or in rows, as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring. It will germinate rapidly (7-14 days) in light in a flat at temperature of 70 deg.F in the medium.
Seedlings should be transplanted, when they have 4 true leaves, to a deeper flat or small pots and hardened off before setting out. Lemon balm will grow well in partial shade or full sun. It hottest climates, lemon balm definitely needs afternoon shade.
It probably exhausts the soil after two or three years because it makes such a large clump so it must be fertilized annually especially with nitrogen. The old plants may die off in a wet winter, especially where they do not have adequate drainage, but seedlings volunteer from any plant that is not cut down completely at the time of flowering. The roots do no seem to put out runners as do mints, but they increase into a hard-to-divide clump.
There is a variegated form, called "golden Lemon Balm", which has not been as hardy for many growers. Full sun or partial shade for lusher plants.
If you wish to confine its growth, don't hesitate to cut into the plant to within a 6 inch diameter in late fall of the second year and every two years thereafter. Flower spikes form in midsummer, which stops leaf production. Cut off these flowering stems 6 inches from the crown.
The first cutting from a new plant can usually begin 10 weeks after transplanting. Do not cut more than half the plant at a time. Harvested stems can be hung in bundles in a dark, dry, wellventilated room for 4 to 7 days and is approximately 80% water, then stripped and stored in an opaque container for later use. Yields of dry herb are 1,500 to 2,500 pounds per acre.
Constituents: essential oil includes cintronellal and geranial with neral; citral, citronellol, eugenol, geraniol, polyphenols, flavonoids, triterpenoids; caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, linalol, limonene. Energetics: cold, dry, sour, slightly bitter Actions: sedative, anti-depressant, digestive stimulant, promotes sweating, relaxing restorative for nervous system, antiviral (possibly due to polyphenols and tannins); antibacterial, carminative, antispasmodic.
Language of Flowers: Social intercourse; pleasant company of friends; memories; a cure; "Don't misuse me.".
History: The botanical name, melissa, is Greek for "bee". Lemon balm has been cultivated in the Mediterranean region for about 2000 years. The Muslim herbalist Avicenna recommended lemon balm "to make the heart merry". Paracelsus claimed this herb could completely revitalize the body and called it the "elixir of life", and 14th century French King Charles V drank its tea every day to keep his health. The famous Carmelite Water, first made by 17ty century Carmelite nuns to treat nervous headache and neuralgia, combined lemon balm with lemon-peel, nutmeg, coriander and angelica root. Sacred to the temple of Diana, lemon balm was called "heart's delight" in southern Europe. Its virtue of dispelling melancholy has been praised by herbal writers for centuries, and it is still used today in aromatherapy to counter depression.
Aromatherapy Uses: EXTRACTION: essential oil by steam distillation from the leaves and flowering tops.
CHARACTERISTICS: a pale yellow liquid with a light, fresh lemony fragrance.
BLENDS WITH: lavender, geranium, floral and citrus oils
USES: Skin care: allergies, insect bites, insect repellent Respiratory: asthma, bronchitis, chronic coughs; useful for colds and influenza
Digestive: colic, indigestion, nausea; good for vomiting and indigestion of a nervous origin, relieving spasms and flatulence
Circulatory: a tonic for the heart, slowing its action, relieving palpitations and lowering blood pressure Genito-urinary: menstrual problems especially painful periods
Nervous: anxiety, depression, hypertension, insomnia, migraine, nervous tension, shock and vertigo
Emotion: melissa is vivacious and provocative, revitalizing the inner self and calming the senses. Makes the heart merry and joyful. Also helpful in dispelling a sense of dejection in times of grief or bereavement. Melissa calms raging emotions, engendering a state of quiet peace.
Other: used extensively as a fragrance component in toiletries, cosmetics and perfumes. Employed in most major food categories including alcoholic and soft drinks.
BLENDS:
Digestive: 5 drops melissa, 3 drops peppermint, 3 drops cardamom
Circulatory: 4 drops melissa, 4 drops ylangylang, 2 drops clary sage Nervous: 4 drops melissa, 3 drops vetivert, 2 drops Roman chamomile
Emotion: 4 drops melissa, 4 drops orange, 3 drops frankincense
Culinary Uses: Fresh lemon balm imparts a subtle lemon flavor and fresh lemon fragrance, making it especially nice for fruit dishes, custards, and tea. Early fresh leaves can be chopped and added to salads; just cut down somewhat on the vinegar or lemon juice. Cut the leaves into slivers and sprinkle over fish or add to poached fruit where a lemony flavor is desired. Lemon balm can be used in stuffings, sauces, or any dish in which you would use lemon thyme. It enhances the flavor of vegetables, light grains, roast chicken, steamed vegetables and fruit salads. Lay fish or chicken over a bed of lemon balm leaves before baking: you won' need any other seasonings. Stir the minced leaves into cooked rice or into clarified butter for dipping artichoke leaves. Try stuffing a handful of the leaves and some minced green onions under the skin of chicken breasts, then sprinkle with lemon pepper before baking or grilling. Stir chopped fresh lemon balm into plain yogurt and sprinkle with any kind of fresh berries. The minced leaves can be added to a cooked soft custard to pour over fresh fruit.
Add the leaves to iced tea or place sprigs of fresh lemon balm in a tall chilled wine glass with white wine; add a splash of sparkling water for a summer spritzer. Spread cream cheese blended with a small amount of mayonnaise on slices of whole-grain bread, then add lots of lemon balm leaves and generous slices of juicy nectarines, strawberries, or peaches. Or try some of the leaves in an omelet with fresh strawberries and creme fraiche.
For a late-night soothing tea, steep lemon balm leaves in a cup of boiling water. Stir in honey and lemon juice, to taste.
Dried lemon balm is mainly used for tea. For other uses, it's better to freeze the leaves for later use, packed into plastic bags. They'll keep well for up to 2 months. Chopping with a knife usually bruises the leaves, causing them to discolor so tear the leaves into small pieces instead.
Known as a traditional wine herb, lemon balm is used to flavor many liqueurs Use 1é2 oz of the fresh leaves late in the boil in a home brewed beer to add a strong lemon scent and flavor.
Energetics: sour, spicy cool Meridians/Organs affected: lungs, liver
Medicinal Uses: Lemon balm's main action is as a tranquilizer. It calms a nervous stomach, colic, or heart spasms. The leaves are reputed to also lower blood pressure. It is very gentle, although effective, so is often suggested for children and babies. The hot tea brings on a sweat that is good for relieving colds, flus and fevers and an antiviral agent has been found that combats mumps, cold sores and other viruses. The tea has also been shown to inhibit the division of tumor cells. Studies indicate that the herb slightly inhibits the thyroidstimulating hormone and restricts Grave's disease, a hyperthyroid condition.
Lemon balm's antihistamine action is useful to treat eczema and headaches and accounts for the centuries-old tradition of placing the fresh leaf on insect bites and wounds. Lemon balm has antipyretic, refreshing, cholagogic and stimulating properties. Use a pad soaked in the infusion to relieve painful swellings such as gout. Use as ointment for sores, insect bites, or to repel insects. Use hot infused oil as ointment or gentle massage oil for depression, tension, asthma and bronchitis.
A clinical multicentric study in Germany offers evidence of the antiviral activity of a specially prepared dried extract of lemon balm against herpes simplex infections. The extract was a concentrated (70:1) dry extract of lemon balm which was included at a level of 1% in a cream base. Patients applied the cream 2-4 times daily for 5-10 days. In the group receiving the active Melissa cream, there was a significant improvement in symptoms on day two compared to the placebo group and on day five over 50% more patients were symptom-free than in the placebo group. To be effective, the treatment must be started in the very early stages of the infection.
Research has clearly demonstrated the plant's ability to impact the limbic system of the brain and "protect"; the brain from the powerful stimuli of the body and should be part of any ADHD formula. Combinations: Digestive troubles: hops, chamomile or meadowsweet Stress and tension: lavender and linden blossoms Formula for ADHD: 70 ml Bacopa monneira; 50 ml Ginkgo biloba; 30 ml Valerian; 30 ml Panax ginseng, 30 ml Melissa officinalis. Dose is 5 ml t.i.d.
My Lemon Balm
More can be read here: http://www.theherbcottage.com/Plant_facts/lemonbalm.html
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