Loving Lemon Balm: Herbal Elixir of Life

            About ten years ago, I set out a single lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) plant at the corner of my house. It was a sunny spot where not much would grow. I decided since lemon balm was a mint it would probably be fine there. Mint seems to be happy most places, right?

            It was happy. It grew beautifully through the summer, made lovely white flowers, and filled that area of the garden with its lovely lemony scent. I didn’t do much with it other than grab a few leaves to flavor ice or cream. I hadn’t yet learned of the magic of lemon balm in supporting our health in so many ways. It was just a nice plant hanging out in a corner of my yard where nothing else would grow. I wasn’t too concerned when it died back in the first frost. It was a mint. It would come back, and I’d have lovely lemony cream and ice cubes again the next summer.

            But it didn’t come back the next spring. Not there. Not where I planted it. Not where I wanted it. Nope. It came back about ten feet away—and with gusto. My one plant was ten. Those ten were bigger and happier than the original plant had been. So, I had more lemony cream and ice cubes than the season before. I was even okay with the area the lemon balm had colonized. Not much was going on there except a small patch of day flowers which struggle in the Oklahoma heat. The lemon balm was much hardier and held on most of the summer.

            The next summer the lemon balm came back in its new home. And…in about five other places in the yard. While growing guidelines say lemon balm prefers sunny locations, the lemon balm in my yard was perfectly happy growing in deep shade. It grew in the sun. It grew in the shade. It grew with regular water. It grew when ignored. It grew and grew until it had taken over the east side of the yard. I didn’t care. I tend to let the yard do what it wants—within reason. Those patches of lemon balm were areas I didn’t have to mow or really tend to. The bees loved it; the aphids didn’t. I also could have lemon flavored cream whenever I wanted.

            Then I started learning about the medicinal uses of lemon balm, and I felt like the universe in a moment of supreme benevolence had rewarded in spades my laissez faire approach to gardening. This plant that I had rather carelessly dropped into my yard offers so many ways to support our health and well-being that I am in awe and a bit humbled. Paracelsus, the Swiss alchemist, referred to lemon balm as “the elixir of life.” It truly seems to be.

            Medicinally, lemon balm supports the digestive system and the nervous system. It can also be used topically to treat wounds and insect bites. Finally, it’s antimicrobial. Looking at digestive system uses, lemon balm is a carminative—it relieves intestinal gas. It may also ease digestive issues related to stress. Many herbalists recommend nursing mothers drink lemon balm tea as a way to soothe restless and colicky babies as the herbs soothing qualities are expressed in breast milk.

      Considering the nervous system, lemon balm soothes and lifts the spirits. A cup of chamomile-lemon balm tea can settle the stressed and restless mind so it can prepare for sleep. This tea is gentle enough for children. Lemon balm tea can also relieve tension headaches and ease panic attacks. Research also suggests lemon balm extract may help children with ADHD to focus and concentrate. This same extract may also promote sleep in both children and adults. One of our clients says that our Lemon Balm Extract helps her manage her insomnia.

            Because of its antimicrobial (antiviral, antifungal, and antibiotic) and anti-inflammatory properties, lemon balm has long been used as a topical treatment for wounds and insect bites. In addition, research has shown that lemon balm may restrict viral replication (the way that viruses multiply) in the body. Lemon balm has a strong anti-viral activity against the herpes-simplex virus 1 and 2. Many also maintain that lemon balm is effective in reducing shingles outbreaks. Our salve The Balm may help cold sores heal more quickly; it’s definitely great for chapped lips!

            That’s a lot of health and well-being wrapped up in a single plant!

            As I said earlier, I’ve never been bothered by lemon balm’s colonization of the east side of my yard. Now, I go outside and cheer it on. I want it to grow and spread and be happy. The happier the lemon balm is, the better the harvest (and the stronger the oils in the harvested leaves) My goal this year has been to learn to harvest gently. This allows me to have multiple harvests over the summer. However, the extreme heat and drought this year did a number on the lemon balm (and everything else). So, I probably won’t harvest much more. I want to be sure this wonderful plant is healthy enough to produce good seeds and good roots so it comes back next year to fill my yard with its healing, lemony goodness.

            In the meantime, I’ll work with what I’ve harvested and be grateful for this plant that can do so much for our health and well-being. Lemon balm may not be the elixir of life, but life certainly is better with lemon balm in it!