Growing lemon balm, Melissa officinalis L, is – like most mints — a perennial herb that’s easy to grow and easy to spread! We’ll cover here growing lemon balm in containers and in the ground, and a few reasons why you’ll want to!
Melissa is Greek for honeybee, likely so named for the tiny white flowers — sometimes with a hint or yellow or pink — that are pollinator magnets throughout the summer.
But first…
What is Lemon Balm?
This garden balm is a lemon scented herb that’s a perennial mint popular amongst herbal enthusiasts for its many health benefits, as well as with cooks and chefs around the world for its many culinary uses.
If you’re not quite sure how to grow, harvest, and enjoy this hardy and prolific herb with a mint and lemony scent, don’t worry, it’s easy growing and we’ll cover that here.
With a little time, a sunny spot for an ample dose of direct sunlight, and a little patience, this powerhouse of herbal goodness can be available to you in abundance.
A citrusy member of the mint family, lemon balm originated in the Mediterranean, North Africa, and parts of the Middle East. Now naturalized around the globe, lemon balm is widely accepted in modern culture and gardens as a beneficial herb plant.
What is the Lemon Balm Hardiness Zone?
Most sellers cite Lemon Balm USDA Hardiness Zone as 4-9, although the North Carolina Extension Service lists it as 3a-7a.[1]https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/melissa-officinalis/
Growing lemon balm is not difficult for even the novice gardener. Take a few moments today to learn about growing lemon balm from seed, cuttings and seedlings, and you’ll have a new peppy plant friend for years to come.
Melissa Officinalis L. – Lemon Balm Common Names
The common names for lemon balm are listed alphabetically, with the most common names bolded.
- Balm
- Balm mint
- Bee balm
- Blue balm
- Common balm
- Cure-all
- Dropsy plant
- Garden balm
- Honey plant
- Lemon Balm
- Melissa
- Melissa folium
- Melissa officinalis
- Mint balm
- Sweet balm
- Sweet Mary
There are many common names for lemon balm, including blue balm, cure-all, garden balm, and balm gentle just to name a few.
Is Lemon Balm Invasive?
Yes! Like other mints, this sweet balm is invasive and can take over a garden plot through the rhizomes and seeds. However, there are a couple ways to avoid the lemon balm invasion.
How to Keep Lemon Balm Mint From Spreading
- Clip the blossoms before they go to seed
- Grow lemon balm in pots
We’ve been growing lemon balm in the garden in pots for years now. We haven’t clipped blossoms and it has never spread. However, we’ve had very few to no blossoms!
Perhaps it’s because ours are in partial shade. So if you grow yours in containers, if they flower, clip them before they go to seed. The clipped blossoms are edible flowers, so you can toss them into salads for a hint of lemon and a pretty visual addition.
If you wish to continue year round access to fresh green leaves, or just for the bit of citrusy fragrance inside, you can bring your potted plants indoors before first frost for best results. Prune them first to remove all the old and dead stems and to freshen them up for their new indoor growing season.
Lemon Balm Benefits
These are just a few reasons for growing this wonderful plant.
DISCLAIMER: This is informational, not prescriptive. It is advisable to consult with your healthcare professional for treatment recommendations.
- Alzheimer’s
- Antioxidants
- Anti-thyroidal –
- Graves disease[2]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8090196/
- hyperthyroid (NOT hypothyroid)
- Antiviral properties
- Anxiety
- Calming
- Cognitive function
- Cold sores
- Digestive relief
- Headaches
- Hyperthyroid / Graves
- Insomnia
- Menstrual pain
- Mild nausea
- Relaxation
- Sleep aid
- Stress relief
Lemon balm’s sunny disposition is not its only attribute. People have been growing lemon balm for centuries to take advantage of the many uses of this herbal favorite.
GROWING LEMON BALM
This Melissa folium / Melissa Officinalis, thrives in full sun to partial shade in well draining soil. This mint balm doesn’t mind drying out a little between waterings but doesn’t like wet roots or it can develop root rot.
It loves a fertile, pH neutral soil type, but can manage to grow in most soils except for clay soil.
- BOTANICAL NAME: Melissa officinalis L
- SUN: 8-12 hours
- SPROUTS in 7-14 Days
- TEMPS: thrives at an average 69°F
- HARDINESS ZONE: 4-9
- SEED DEPTH: Surface Sow
- PLANTING SPACING: 12 inches – 3 Feet
- SIZE: Up to 3 feet tall x 3 feet wide
Growing Lemon Balm from Seed
- SOWING SEEDS: Surface sow seeds:
- Containers – any time of year when growing indoors, although spring time may show quicker results
- Starts Indoors – in early Spring in seed trays for transplanting
- Outside – in late Spring after any danger of frost and soil temps are between 65-70°F
- GERMINATION – Average is 10 days; but can range between 5-20 days for seeds to germinate
You can buy lemon balm seeds from your favorite seed company or from Amazon.
Surface sow seeds March to May in rich compost, in a seedling tray or cell. Cover lightly with a sprinkling of organic compost or vermiculite and place in a warm spot. We like to sprout our seeds in our indoor greenhouse on plant warming pads.
Transplant to a larger pot or to the garden plot when plants have outgrown the seedling trays at around 6 inches tall.
Growing Lemon Balm from Cuttings
To propagate lemon balm from cuttings, clip a 6” section of non-woody, soft stem growth from the top of new growth before the lemon balm flowers. Pinch the leaves off of the lower ⅔ of the stem and plant cuttings in a medium pot to just below the remaining leaves.
You can plant a dozen or so cuttings in an inner and outer circle to round out the pot, in rich well draining soil or compost.
Planting Young Lemon Balm Plants
In the mint family, this sweet balm plants are readily available at your local garden center during the spring and early summer months. You will find them alongside the herb and vegetable plants. Two to three starter plants are usually plenty for the average backyard garden.
Lemon balm is a perennial leafy herb in zones 4-9.
Growing Lemon Balm in Pots
We’ve chosen to grow our lemon balm in large pots to minimize spread. We don’t bring these indoors over winter as our small cattle panel greenhouse and home sunroom are already full of plants. (You probably know how that goes)!
So we cut them back in fall. Some say to cut them back before the first freeze, however in our 7a growing zone, ours are still growing and green even into December, so we let them grow until the leave are clearly burnt from frost, then prune them back completely and cover in leaves.
We’ve grown them for several years in the same pots and they’ve gotten crowded, so this spring we’ll be repotting, dividing and thinning out old and dead growth and repotting into fresh fertile soil.
Planting Lemon Balm
Plant in Full Sun to Light Shade
Mint plants are known for their prolific growth, and our friend, lemon balm, is no exception. Take into consideration the size of the mature plant when deciding on a location in your space. Plants will reach two feet in height at maturity, with a spreading nature that can be controlled with proper care.
Select a spot in your garden that receives at least six hours of full sun per day. Lemon balm thrives in cooler climates, but can be successfully grown in warmer areas. The key is to provide a few hours of partial shade in the hot afternoons, giving your plant respite from soaring late afternoon temperatures in the thick of mid – summer.
These common mints are often readily available from your local home store, nursery, or farmers’ market, or online plant and seed companies, as well as on Amazon.
Best Soil for Growing Lemon Balm
Lemon balm — as with most plants — grows best in fertile, well-drained soil. A mixture of equal parts sand, compost, and topsoil is ideal. Any well drained garden soil will do as long as it’s not too heavy or holds too much moisture.
If you’re buying potting soil, a good potting soil for herbs works well, or a citrus and cactus potting mix, as both are good for well drained soil that aren’t inclined to get soggy. Keep the soil moist but don’t over water, or your plant could develop a fungal disease or root rot.
Planting Lemon Balm in the Ground
Dig a hole twice as big in diameter as your lemon balm starter pot. Place your lemon balm in the hole and gently fill the hole with soil, making sure the plant is level with the ground.
Water well after transplanting. Transplanting is recommended during cool evening hours to give the lemon balm plant time to recover before higher temperatures return.
Spacing for Healthy Plants
Leaving ample space between your plants will promote adequate air circulation,and protect the lemon balm from problems associated with too much moisture such as fungus or powdery mildew disease. Buttery, white flowers will appear late in the growing season, attracting beneficial pollinators to the garden.
Watering Lemon Balm
Most herbs do not like to sit in wet soil, so moderation is key. While this plant isn’t picky, it doesn’t like to be wet. You can keep the soil moist or even let it dry between waterings, except for in the heat of summer, where you might need to water daily.
New seedlings will need to be kept moist and checked daily for soil moisture. After that, transition to an even watering twice a week, unless soil seems overly dry or wet. Adjust your watering accordingly and dependent on rainfall and summer drought and heat.
Check the soil for moisture each time before watering. The ground should feel dry or only a slightly moist soil before watering again; just avoid soaking. Naturally, most plants can take the good soaking that comes with rain, but just not all the time.
Your lemon balm plant will become stronger and bigger over time, and once established, water sparingly, not letting more than two weeks pass between waterings.
All herbs do best when watered in the morning hours, thus giving the plants the moisture they need during daylight hours. Allowing leaves or roots to remain wet overnight will invite problems, so it is best to avoid evening watering.
It’s best to avoid evening watering.
Don’t Over Water
A note on overwatering: we nearly lost our Meyer lemon tree due to overwatering. The top of the soil would look dry, so it would get watered. But the Meyer lemon leaves falling, got my attention. Apparently, the roots were holding the water, even though the plant looked dry, due to the rich soil holding too much moisture around the roots, leading to root rot.
So I got a water meter to gauge moisture levels before watering and it’s been a huge help. After 40 years of having a green thumb and no major problems with plants, our ailing dwarf Meyer Lemon trees caused me to look deeper into what might be the issue.
So since then, I’ve started using a water meter which has helped me identify the soil moisture from top to bottom of the pot and thus when to water and when to wait.
The water meter has also showed me that it’s not unusual for some sides of the pot soil to be dry and the other side moist or even wet. Likely, this is the result of ailing roots, for healthy plants should have an even root and rhizome system branching out in all directions.
All herbs do best when watered in the morning hours to avoid wet roots overnight. Let them drink by day and breath by night.
~GardensAll.com
Fertilizer for Lemon Balm
Lemon balm loves to be blanketed by compost a few times each growing season. No commercial fertilizer will be needed as long as good quality compost is used to supplement your soil from time to time.
You should fertilize mint balm with compost at least once a month. Gently lift the bushy stems from the ground and apply the compost, being careful not to crush the leaves. The compost will feed your lemon balm plants while improving your garden soil overall.
Following these steps, your lemon balm should keep growing well into late summer and early fall.
Overwintering Lemon Balm
When the growing season ends, simply cut back your lemon balm stems to two to three inches, then cover with compost or mulch. In the springtime, simply uncover your plants to start new growth each spring.
Harvesting Lemon Balm
Your lemon balm will grow quickly allowing you to harvest and use it in very little time.
Plan for 30-40 days to harvest, or when your plant reaches 6 to 8 inches tall.
Naturally, you can clip a few leaves earlier here and there; we often pluck a leaf a day for a nibble in the garden while greeting the sweet balm. But overall it’s best to take fuller clippings, especially in quantities large enough for drying fresh lemon balm leaves, from a full bush of this wonderful garden balm.
Make certain your plant has at least thirty leaves before you begin to harvest it for use. You can pick individual leaves or cut stalks with scissors or garden shears.
You can use mint balm fresh from the garden. Store fresh sprigs by placing stems of lemon balm in a cup or jar of water and place in the refrigerator. We like to pop a snack size Ziploc bag over the top for a quick cover. Or, you can store in a zipper bag with a damp paper towel for up to a week, as with other herbs.
Alternately, you can dehydrate and store in airtight jars.
The lemon balm leaves release a wonderful, uplifting scent of lemon when crushed between the fingers. A fresh sprig or two is plenty freshen up a glass of water, or a tablespoon of dried balm will make a lovely cup of hot tea.
How to Harvest Lemon Balm
Throughout the growing season, harvest what you need as you need it. To dry and store your herb for the maximum freshness of oils and nutrients, harvest the majority of your stems in late summer, or before the first frost.
Harvest lemon balm as if you’re pruning the plant. That means even trimming of the fullest, largest leafed stems about halfway to 3/4 down. We like to also clip and include the flowering stems as well, especially if you’re not interested in it self-seeding and spreading.
Our lemon balm grows mostly year round in zone 7a, but we do trim it back more before the first freeze in order to harvest, dry and save more herbs for use over the winter and beyond. Lemon balm will finally freeze off in winter after multiple freezes below 30℉.
We just use these hand garden colander baskets for garden harvests are easy to carry and load with freshly harvested herbs and vegetables. Then straight to the sink for rinsing and washing as needed.
Harvesting Lemon Balm for Drying
For dried herbs, you’ll need lots more clippings than you might imagine because they shrink so dramatically during the dehydration process. Armfuls of fresh herbs can dehydrate down to just a few gallon pitchers worth of herbal tea, or just one spice jar of powder.
Harvesting Lemon Balm for Fresh Herbs
Harvest when ready to use fresh herb for teas, water and food. You can keep it fresh in a container in the fridge for a few days as you would other greens, but otherwise, ideally, just trim it as you need it in the amount you need for that day.
Washing is Optional
We don’t worry about washing most of our herbs before drying for several reasons. We’re growing it organically in pots, so it’s not inclined to get dirt splashed up on it, however, even if it did, we wouldn’t worry because a few specks of dirt just helps to build a stronger immune system.
The other reason we don’t worry about washing before drying or using lemon balm is that it’s a natural insect repellent, so we hardly ever see bugs on it. And lastly, because growing and then drying it in the sun has a sanitizing effect.
We get our supplements from the garden:
Every trip to the garden we break off sprigs of fresh herbs to chew on. Lemon balm and other mints, oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary, lavender and more. Nature’s vitamins are the best.
Lemon Balm Teas and Beverages
Making a cup of lemon balm tea is as easy.
Lemon Balm Tea Recipe
- Pour boiling water over dried leaves at a ratio of about 1 Tablespoon of dried herbs per cup of water (more of less to tasted and depending on if you prefer a stronger or milder brew).
- Let steep for ~10 minutes (more for stronger tea, less for milder).
- Strain into cup and enjoy hot, or add sweetened if desired and ice to enjoy cold.
NOTES:
- Dried leaves should be strained.
- Fresh leaves can be left in the cup or teapot, if desired.
- For a sweeter beverage, we like maple syrup, honey, stevia or a splash of 100% fruit juice.
- Lemon balm pairs well with most herbal flavors, making the flavor possibilities endless.
We like to make herbal iced tea with lemon balm and maple syrup or stevia for those who like it a little sweet. There are any number of delightful combinations such as adding Melissa officinalis to cucumber water or homemade ginger ale. Add lemon balm to anything that is enhanced by a zesty minty lemon flavor.
For maximum flavor release we like to gently crush or roll the fresh leaves between fingers just before adding to a beverage. If serving it to company, it may look better to keep the leave the leaves unrumpled.
Lemon Balm Beverages
- Cucumber water with fresh crushed mint
- Homemade ginger ale with fresh crushed citrus mint leaves
- Watermelon smoothie – using seeds and lemon zest makes this an even healthier blended, you won’t notice the seeds but they’ll add lots of nutrients along with the balm.
- Lemon balm water – enjoy throughout the day
- Herbal iced tea – steep this zesty mint by itself or with other herbs and dried fruits; add maple syrup or stevia to taste for mildly sweet tea
You can have fun experimenting with all kinds of other herbs, fruits and spices you may have on hand for a variety of herbal blends, such as:
- Avocado leaves
- Catnip
- Bee balm
- Spearmint
- Blueberry leaves (blueberry and blackberry leaves make great tea)
- Dried fruits pieces, including dried lemon and other citrus
- Ginger
- Spices such as cinnamon sticks and cloves
- Strawberry leaves
How to Dry Lemon Balm
To harvest larger amounts of lemon balm, drying is usually required as the best way to preserve herbs. Cut back your plant as far as you feel comfortable. Take care to leave enough vigorous, healthy growth for your plant to regrow. Give the stems a gentle rinse with cool water, taking special care not to damage the leaves.
Air Drying Lemon Balm ~3-5 Days
Air drying is not recommended for humid climates unless you have an airy space with fans for great air flow.
Herbs are apt to get moldy before they get completely dried. We even hung ours up in a screened-in porch area with a ceiling fan going the entire week, but the leaves never dried properly. They ended up slightly soft and limp or rubbery rather than crunchy and crushable, so those went into our organic compost bins.
If you wash your mint before drying, spin it in a salad spinner to remove excess moisture, then also lay the leaves onto paper towels and gently pat dry. Drying moist herbs is important in order to avoid mold, especially on denser leaves like lemon balm.
For storing herbs and making salves and creams, oils and tinctures, you’ll either use dried herbs that’s crunchy and crumbles easily, or very fresh, just harvested herbs that you add to your medium of oil or alcohol. You don’t want to compromise your remedies and concoctions with risk of getting moldy.
Here’s an example of how to make salve, applicable to most herbs and also oils like this lavender oil.
Tying Bundles of Herbs to Hang to Dry
One of the oldest methods for drying herbs, this works well in all but humid climates. Bunch your stems together loosely in groups of six to ten, depending on size of the cutting and the leaves, and tie with twine or yarn. Hang your bunches upside down in a cool, well aerated space until fully dry.
We sting a clothes line across our back screened-in porch and turn on the ceiling fan there.
Leaves will crumble easily once they’re sufficiently dried. Humidity levels in your area will determine the speed of drying.
It should take from one to three weeks for your lemon balm to be free of moisture. Store the leaves in an airtight container for future use.
Your dried herbs should last through the winter months and well into spring. After a year, replace with your newest harvest.
Do NOT Sun Dry Herbs
Living in the summer time humidity of North Carolina, tying and hanging herbs hasn’t worked for us as the herbs get moldy before they dry, or else they just never really dry completely.
So we started sun drying or using an electric dehydrator for our herbs.
However, we learned that sun drying tends to burn out too much of the herb’s natural beneficial oils and nutrients, so we no longer do it that way.
UPDATE: Sun drying used to be our favorite way to dry herbs for a number of reasons,as indicated in the paragraphs below). However, when we dug into the scientific research, it turns out that sun drying herbs is not the best way to retain the greatest amount of nutrients.
You can learn more about the most effective methods for drying rosemary and other herbs like lemon balm.
Problems in Sun Drying Herbs
- SUNBURN – Full sun will burn herbs quickly and will also deplete nutrients more than other methods
- WIND –
- Wind can blow your herbs away, (so be sure to place something on top of the herbs, such as an old screen.
- The wind can also blow away the cloth you lay your herbs on, so place bricks, rocks or board on each corner to anchor it
- BUGS – Ants or insects can get to them food that’s drying. They typically leave herbs alone but beware fruit drying outdoors
- WEATHER – If you forget to bring the herbs in when it rains, you’ll probably lose the entire batch (yep… speaking from experience)!
Consider air drying herbs and foods outside in a mostly shaded area with good airflow. The window screens will also work well for that, if you prop them up under each corner so that air can flow completely around them. Cinder blocks work well for an elevated way to set up drying screens.
Use Old Window Screens for Air Drying Herbs and Foods
- Select a well ventilated area:
- indoors – in a well ventilated area; rooms with ceiling fans are helpful
- outdoors – in the shade
- Place one window screen on surface
- Add 4 bricks, blocks or wood blocks under each of the 4 corners of the screen
- Layer your herbs or foods
- Add another screen on top – for most foods you’re drying, the window frames will provide approximately 1/2″ of space between the screens for food to lay.
If you have good access to a reasonably level and protected surface in the sun go for it! Sun drying is free, and some believe that it imbues more of the sun’s energy and prana (life force) into the foods.
Dehydrator Dried Lemon Balm, 3-6 hours average time
When you can’t air dry, then dehydrators and freeze dryers work well. Dehydrators are an efficient, effective and relatively inexpensive way to dry fresh herbs. the dehydrator is now our default herb drying method, and we’re grateful for it.
For more on dehydrating foods, we’ve written an article on the best food dehydrators, which includes hanging air drying dehydrator racks as well as oven dehydration.
Freeze Drying Lemon Balm
Freeze dryers are expensive, but great for doing larger volumes. One member of the Planting for Retirement Facebook group prefers her freeze dryer for drying herbs and her dehydrators for veggies.
DON’T SUN DRY!!!
As indicated above, this used to be our favorite method until we learned that sun dried herbs don’t retain as much of the beneficial nutrients.
However, using screens propped up on blocks for air flow in a shaded outdoor area or indoor area with good airflow and low humidity can work well.
We no Longer Sun Dry as Depicted in this Photo
You’ll see why in the photo after this one.
LESSON LEARNED: DON’T SUN DRY HERBS (after all)
You can read about the results as to the most beneficial methods for drying herbs in our article on drying rosemary.
Lemon Balm – an Herb Worth Growing
Growing your own lemon balm is one step towards becoming a healthier, more energized person! Lemon balm benefits go beyond the uses for lemon balm and extend to the value of garden therapy. The health benefits of growing plants and food go beyond what the garden provides in healthy food.
Beyond Growing Food and Herbs With Benefits, Gardening Brings Relief and Peace
Gardening also provides peace and respite from a stressful outside world. The garden is an oasis, a sacred place to call our own and grow whatever pleases our bodies and souls.
People can easily grow their own mint balm, indoors and out, making it more accessible to all. This mint is easy to grow, harvest, and use and is a helpful herb that deserves a place in our hearts and gardens. The work you do this growing season will give you more than a season of healthy, happy rewards!
Lemon Balm in Ginger Ale
You can make a delicious and ginger ale for a refreshingly healthy summer beverage. Make this simple homemade ginger ale recipe, then just add springs of crushed lemon balm.
Herbs Aren’t Always Harmless
It’s important to remember that herbs can be powerful and potent medicine, and they can have unexpected side effects that differ per person, in much the way pharmaceuticals can. And of course, pharmaceuticals have their roots in herbal medicine.
Just as prescription medicines can interact negatively with certain conditions or combinations of meds, so too with herbal remedies, as you will read in Jane Seeley’s comments in the next section of comments from the community
Comments from the Community
Lemon Balm and Thyroid Problems
Contribution by Jane Seeley, retired, gardener, photographer, food artist
Also, a little known fact about Lemon Balm. In Rosemary Gladstar’s book, she says:
“Lemon balm is considered a thyroid inhibitor; those suffering from hypothyroidism or low thyroid activity should use it only under the guidance of a health-care practitioner.”
Research indicates that those with hyperthyroidism should seek a health practitioner’s advice before using lemon balm leaves, and especially if on any medication.
How did this lemon balm information become so important to me? Well, I developed a goiter and discovered it shortly after harvesting, masticating and making tincture. Since my thyroid levels were “normal” there is little cause and effect in my case but it did give me pause to explore how powerful herbs can be and the need to thoroughly research them before using, especially in larger quantities.
The good news is I have a benign cyst on my thyroid, and am taking iodine in the form of kelp tablets and am keeping an eye on it as my antibody levels were a bit elevated meaning there’s something going on & hopefully it will normalize soon as the goiter has already shrunk quite a bit. I’m pretty sure lots of people have thyroid issues so you may want to make a note in your article.
~Jane Seeley, retired, gardener, photographer, food artist
Garden Food Art by Jane Seeley
This article co-written by contributing writer, gardener Janine Roberts and GardensAll.com.
We are an online gardening publication sharing all things garden related! Including urban farming, family gardening, homesteading, gardening for profits, and more. We’re all about growth!
References