Lemon Balm, Melissa Officinalis
Here’s a wonderful addition to your garden. It is actually part of the mint family, so plant with care!!
It grows like a weed in our climate, (subtropical) but if you live in a much colder climate or a dry one, you will need to provide extra care to this precious little plant. I couldn’t imagine my garden without lemon balm in it. To make as a refreshing afternoon tea, its a wonderful calmative, so helps on those stressful days. Keep a pot growing by the kitchen and you wont regret it!
Melissa come from the Greek for Honey bee and interestingly lemon balm has the same healing and tonic properties as honey and royal jelly!
So what are the other benefits of this pretty little herb?
It is a mild sedative, anti-depressant, digestive stimulant and a relaxing restorative for the nervous system. It is an antiviral to helps with viral infections. According to double blind research, topical use of a concentrated lemon balm oil speeds healing time of herpes simplex virus sores on the mouth.
The only forms this herb is used medicinally are generally the fresh leaves or essential oil.
It is a gentle and effective herb if you suffer from insomnia due to its mild sedative effects. .
If you can find a pure essential oil you may chose to consume a couple of drops (don’t ever consume essential oils unless you can guarantee their purity as oils are often cut with cheap oils and even chemicals) or you can inhale it by using a diffuser as another option from the tea.
“Brings out the gentle characteristics within people. It is calming and uplifting and balances emotions. It removes emotional blocks and instills a positive outlook on life” *Essential oils desk reference. By essential Science Publishing.
Another simple yet effective way to consume a small quantity of this amazing herb is by adding some fresh leaves to your green smoothie. So simple….
But my favourite use of this herb is as a warm steeped tea late in the afternoon, on the verandah surrounded by my dogs watching the sun set. Now that’s a relaxing tea! I do keep the essential oil in my cupboard at all times as well if I need a more potent solution!
I am constantly in awe of mother nature. This is one of the most simple herbs to grow no matter where you are in the world, it grows from seed, self seeds and requires very little maintenance and just look at the benefits… Give it a go you wont regret it.