Lemon balm
Lemon balm: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Lemon balm, Melissa officinalis, is an aromatic perennial in the mint family, valued for the lemon fragrance of its leaves. It forms a branching clump of herbaceous, square-sectioned stems. The opposite leaves are oval and toothed, with a slightly puckered surface. Their appearance recalls some mints, but the scent gives lemon balm a distinctive aromatic identity. The fragrance becomes particularly noticeable when the foliage is crushed.This plant differs from culinary lemongrass, Cymbopogon citratus, which is a grass with long, narrow leaves. It also differs from lemon verbena, Aloysia citrodora. Names referring to lemon or citronella do not change lemon balm’s botanical identity. All three plants may share a lemon-like note, but their outlines, textures and culinary roles are not completely interchangeable. Identifying the plant by its botanical name helps distinguish these similar-sounding herbs.Ordinary lemon balm has green foliage. Decorative forms also exist: ‘All Gold’ has golden-yellow leaves, while ‘Aurea’ has…
