lemon balm
{{Short description|Species of plant}}
{{Redirect|Balm mint|the balm mint bush|Prostanthera melissifolia}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Lemon balm plant.jpg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = {{cite iucn|last=Khela|first=S.|year=2013|title=Melissa officinalis (Europe assessment)|page=e.T203248A2762574}}
| genus = Melissa
| species = officinalis
| authority = L.
}}
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis){{refn|1=Other names for lemon balm include sweet balm,{{sfn|Bahtiyarca Bagdat|Coşge|2006|p=116}} bee herb,{{sfn|Bahtiyarca Bagdat|Coşge|2006|p=116}} balm,{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=283}} common balm,{{PLANTS|id=MEOF2|taxon=Melissa officinalis|access-date=6 July 2015}} melissa balm,{{sfn|Axtell|Fairman|1992|p=211}} and balm mint.{{sfn|Axtell|Fairman|1992|p=211}}|group=note}} is a perennial herbaceous plant in the mint family. It has lemon-scented leaves, white or pale pink flowers, and contains essential oils and compounds like geranial and neral. It grows to a maximum height of {{convert|1|m|ft|abbr=on|frac=2}}. The species is native to south-central Europe, the Mediterranean, Central Asia, and Iran, is now naturalized worldwide and grows easily from seed in rich, moist soil.
The name Melissa officinalis comes from the Greek word for “honey bee,” due to the plant’s bee-attracting flowers, and the Latin officinalis, referring to its traditional use in apothecaries. It has been cultivated (and used to attract honey bees) since at least the 16th century. Lemon balm grows vigorously from seed or vegetative fragments in temperate zones, with key producers like Hungary, Egypt, and Italy cultivating various cultivars for hand-harvested leaves and low-yield essential oil, notably in Ireland. Lemon balm is used in Carmelite Water, as an ornamental plant, in perfumes and toothpaste, as a raw or cooked herb in various foods and teas, and is valued for its bee-attracting properties and aromatic essential oils.
Description
File:Melissa officinalis (lemon balm).jpg
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae.{{sfn|Bahtiyarca Bagdat|Coşge|2006|p=116}}
Lemon balm plants grow bushy and upright to a maximum height of {{convert|100|cm}}. The heart-shaped leaves are {{convert|2|-|8|cm|abbr=on|frac=4}} long, and have a rough, veined surface. They are soft and hairy with scalloped edges, and have a mild lemon scent. During summer, small white or pale pink flowers appear. The plants live for ten years; the crop plant is replaced after five years to allow the ground to rejuvenate.{{sfn|Axtell|Fairman|1992|p=212}}
=Chemistry=
Lemon balm contains eugenol, tannins, and terpenes.{{cite web|title = Lemon balm|publisher = University of Maryland Medical Center|url = http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/lemon-balm|date = January 2, 2015|first = Steven D.|last = Ehrlich|access-date = June 23, 2017|archive-date = March 7, 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180307215651/https://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/lemon-balm|url-status = live}}
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Composition of lemon balm oil{{sfn|Axtell|Fairman|1992|p=213}} | ||
| Component | minimum % | maximum % |
|---|---|---|
| Methyl Heptenone | 2.2 | 8.6 |
| Citronellal | 1.0 | 8.4 |
| Linalool | 0.5 | 2.7 |
| Neral | 19.6 | 36.1 |
| Geranial | 25.3 | 47.5 |
| Geranyl acetate | 1.2 | 6.2 |
| Carophyllene | 1.9 | 9.7 |
| Carophyllene oxide | 0.5 | 9.0 |
Etymology
The white flowers attract bees, hence the genus Melissa (Greek for "honey bee"). It is not to be confused with bee balm (genus Monarda).
The second name, officinalis (Latin, 'of the shop'), originates from the use of the herb by apothecaries, who sold herbal remedies directly to their customers.{{sfn|Dampney|Pomeroy|1985|p=11}}
Distribution and habitat
File:Bumblebee on Melissa flower.jpg
Melissa officinalis is native to south-central Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, Central Asia and Iran, but is now naturalized in the Americas and elsewhere around the world.Herb Society of America. 2007 [http://www.herbsociety.org/factsheets/Lemon%20Balm%20Guide.pdf Lemon Balm: An Herb Society of America Guide] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218172130/http://www.herbsociety.org/factsheets/Lemon%20Balm%20Guide.pdf |date=2015-02-18 }}{{cite web |title=Melissa officinalis L., Sp. Pl.: 592 (1753) |url=http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=124103 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214213227/https://wcsp.science.kew.org/namedetail.do?name_id=124103 |archive-date=14 February 2021 |access-date=27 August 2014 |website=World Checklist of Selected Plant Families |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew}} It grows easily from seed, preferring rich, moist soil.{{sfn|Dampney|Pomeroy|1985|p=36}}
Cultivation
Lemon balm seeds require light and a minimum temperature of {{convert|20|C|F}} to germinate. The plant grows in clumps and spreads vegetatively (a new plant growing from a fragment of its parent), as well as by seed. In mild temperate zones, the plant stems die off at the start of the winter, but shoot up again in spring. Lemon balm grows vigorously.{{Cite web|date=2021-03-24|title=Herbal Guide to Lemon Balm: Grow, Harvest, and Use a Lemon Balm Plant|url=https://gardentherapy.ca/lemon-balm/|access-date=2021-07-29|website=Garden Therapy|language=en-US}}
{{As of|1992}}, Hungary, Egypt, and Italy are the major producing countries of lemon balm.{{sfn|Axtell|Fairman|1992|p=211}} The leaves are harvested by hand in June and August in the northern hemisphere, on a day when the weather is dry, to prevent the crop from turning black if damp.{{sfn|Axtell|Fairman|1992|p=212}}
The cultivars of M. officinalis include:
- M. officinalis 'Citronella'
- M. officinalis 'Lemonella'
- M. officinalis 'Quedlinburger'
- M. officinalis 'Lime'
- M. officinalis 'Mandarina'
- M. officinalis 'Variegata'
- M. officinalis 'Aurea'
- M. officinalis 'Quedlinburger Niederliegende', a variety reportedly bred for higher essential oil content.{{Cite journal |last=Szabó |first=Krisztina |last2=Malekzadeh |first2=Mahmoud |last3=Radácsi |first3=Péter |last4=Ladányi |first4=Márta |last5=Rajhárt |first5=Péter |last6=Inotai |first6=Katalin |last7=Tavaszi-Sárosi |first7=Szilvia |last8=Németh |first8=Éva |year=2016 |title=Could the variety influence the quantitative and qualitative outcome of lemon balm production? |url=https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2015.12.027 |journal=Industrial Crops and Products |volume=83 |pages=710–716 |doi=10.1016/j.indcrop.2015.12.027 |issn=0926-6690|url-access=subscription }}
=Essential oil production=
Ireland is a major producer of lemon balm essential oil, which has a pale yellow colour and a lemon scent.{{sfn|Axtell|Fairman|1992|p=211}} The essential oil is commonly co-distilled with lemon oil, citronella oil or other essential oils.{{Cite journal|last1=Sarkic|first1=Asja|last2=Stappen|first2=Iris|date=March 2018|title=Essential Oils and Their Single Compounds in Cosmetics—A Critical Review|journal=Cosmetics|language=en|volume=5|issue=1|pages=11|doi=10.3390/cosmetics5010011|issn=2079-9284|doi-access=free}} Yields are low; 0.014% for fresh leaves and 0.112% for dried leaves.{{sfn|Axtell|Fairman|1992|p=211}}
File:Melissa-officinalis-(Lemon-Balm)-flower-Vis-UV-IR-comparison.jpg light and infrared]]
Uses
Lemon balm is the main ingredient of Carmelite Water, which is sold in German pharmacies.{{cite news |last1=Hiller |first1=Sabine |title=Using lemon balm in the kitchen |url=https://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10742:food-using-lemon-balm-in-the-kitchen&catid=74:tasting&Itemid=100028 |access-date=14 April 2021 |work=The Mayo News |date=6 September 2010 }}
The plant is grown and sold as an ornamental plant, and for attracting bees. The essential oil is used as a perfume ingredient{{cite web|url=https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?24036|title=Taxon: Melissa officinalis L.|publisher=USDA: U.S. National Plant Germplasm System|access-date=8 October 2016|archive-date=28 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828103754/https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?24036|url-status=live}} and in toothpaste.{{sfn|Dousti|2012|p=88}} The young leaves can be eaten raw.{{Cite book |last=Francis-Baker |first=Tiffany |title=Concise Foraging Guide |date=2021 |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=978-1-4729-8474-6 |series=The Wildlife Trusts |location=London |pages=86}}
Lemon balm is used as a flavouring in ice cream and herbal teas, often in combination with other herbs such as spearmint. The leaves can be dried when used for tea. It is a common addition to peppermint tea, mostly because of its complementing flavor.{{Citation needed|date=October 2016}} Lemon balm is also used with fruit dishes or candies. It can be used in fish dishes and is the main ingredient in lemon balm pesto.{{rp|15–16}} Its flavour comes from geraniol (3–40%), neral (3–35%), geranial (4–85%) (both isomers of citral), {{nowrap|(E)-caryophyllene}} (0–14%), and citronellal (1–44%).{{sfn|Setzer|2009|p=1309}} It is also one of the ingredients in Spreewald gherkins.{{Cite web|title=Lemon Balm - Melissa officinalis - Herb Seeds from Victory Seeds®|url=https://www.victoryseeds.com/melissa_officinalis.html|access-date=2021-07-29|website=Victory Seeds}}
In history
The use of lemon balm can be dated to over 2,000 years ago through the Greeks and the Romans. It is mentioned by the Greek polymath Theophrastus in his Historia Plantarum, written in {{circa}}300 BC,{{sfn|Kennedy|Scholey|Tindsley|Perry|2002}} as "bee-leaf" (μελισσόφυλλον).{{sfn|Theophrastus|1916|p=464}} Lemon balm was formally introduced into Europe in the 7th century, from which its use and domestication spread.{{sfn|Kennedy|Scholey|Tindsley|Perry|2002}} Its use in the Middle Ages is noted by herbalists, writers, philosophers, and scientists.
Lemon balm was a favourite plant of the Tudors, who scattered the leaves across their floors.{{sfn|Dampney|Pomeroy|1985|p=12}} It was in the herbal garden of the English botanist John Gerard in the 1590s,{{sfn|Gerard|1876}}{{page needed|date=May 2021}} who considered it especially good for feeding and attracting honey bees.{{sfn|Grieve|1971|p=76}} Especially cultivated for honey production, according to the authors Janet Dampney and Elizabeth Pomeroy, "bees were thought never to leave a garden in which it was grown".{{sfn|Dampney|Pomeroy|1985|p=12}} It was introduced to North America by the first colonists from Europe; it was cultivated in the Gardens of Monticello, designed by the American statesman Thomas Jefferson.{{sfn|Zirkle|2001|pp=84–85}}
The English botanist Nicholas Culpeper considered lemon balm to be ruled by the planet Jupiter in Cancer, and suggested it to be used for "weak stomachs", to cause the heart to become "merry", to help digestion, to open "obstructions of the brain", and to expel "melancholy vapors" from the heart and arteries.{{sfn|Culpepper|1814|pp=15–16}} 'Balm water' or 'Aqua Melissa' was used as a healthy beverage from the 18th century.{{cite web |title=Balasore - Bandoleer Dictionary of Traded Goods and Commodities 1550-1820 |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/traded-goods-dictionary/1550-1820/balasore-bandoleer |website=British History Online |publisher=University of Wolverhampton, 2007 |access-date=29 May 2025}}
In traditional Austrian medicine, M. officinalis leaves have been prescribed as a herbal tea, or as an external application in the form of an essential oil.{{sfn|Vogl|Picker|Mihaly-Bison|Fakhrudin|2013}}{{page needed|date=May 2021}}
Notes
{{reflist|group=note}}
References
{{Reflist}}
=Works cited=
{{refbegin|2}}
- {{cite book |last1=Axtell |first1=B.L. |last2=Fairman |first2=R.M. |title=Minor Oil Crops |date=1992 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |location=Rome |isbn=978-92-5-103128-5 |chapter=Melissa officinalis |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/minoroilcrops0000axte}}
- {{Cite journal |last1=Bahtiyarca Bagdat |first1=Reyhan |last2=Coşge |first2=Belgin |date=January 2006 |title=The Essential Oil of Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis L.): its components and using fields |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228107487 |journal=Journal of the Faculty of Agriculture, OMU |volume=21 |pages=116–121 |access-date=2019-02-09 |archive-date=2021-02-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214213227/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228107487_THE_ESSENTIAL_OIL_OF_LEMON_BALM_Melissa_officinalis_L_ITS_COMPONENTS_AND_USING_FIELDS |url-status=live}}
- {{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Balm |volume=3 |noicon=1}}
- {{cite book |last1=Culpepper |first1=Nicholas |author1-link=Nicholas Culpepper |title=Culpeper's Complete Herbal |date=1814 |publisher=Richard Evans |location=London |isbn= |oclc=1029959639 |url=https://archive.org/details/b22011778}}
- {{cite book |last1=Dampney |first1=Janet |last2=Pomeroy |first2=Elizabeth |title=All About Herbs |date=1985 |publisher=Exeter Books |location=New York |isbn=978-06710-7-536-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/allaboutherbs0000damp_o1j4 |url-access=registration}}
- {{cite book |last1=Dousti |first1=Mashta |editor1-last=Rastogi |editor1-first=Sanjeev |editor2-last=Chiappelli |editor2-first=Francesco |editor3-last=Ramchandani |editor3-first=Manisha Harish |editor4-last=Singh |editor4-first=Ram Harsh |title=Evidence-based practice in complementary and alternative medicine : perspectives, protocols, problems, and potential in Ayurveda |date=2012 |publisher=Springer |location=Berlin |isbn=978-3-642-24564-0 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vRQNgXxi5oUC&pg=PA88 |chapter=Evidence-based Traditional Persian Medicine}}
- {{cite book |last1=Gerard |first1=John |author1-link=John Gerard |editor1-last=Jackson |editor1-first=Benjamin Daydon |title=A Catalogue of Plants Cultivated in the Garden of John Gerard, in the Years 1596–1599 |date=1876 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn= |oclc=839850873 |url=https://archive.org/details/acatalogueplant00jackgoog}}
- {{cite book |last1=Grieve |first1=Maude |title=A Modern Herbal |date=1971 |publisher=Dover Publications Inc |location=New York |isbn=978-04862-2-798-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wwzCAgAAQBAJ&q=grieves+A+Modern+Herbal |volume=1}}
- {{cite journal |last1=Kennedy |first1=D.O. |last2=Scholey |first2=Andrew B. |last3=Tindsley |first3=N.T.J. |last4=Perry |first4=E.K. |last5=Wesnes |first5=K.A. |title=Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) |journal=Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior |date=2002 |volume=72 |issue=4 |pages=953–964 |doi=10.1016/S0091-3057(02)00777-3 |language= |s2cid=44542554 |pmid=12062586 |issn=0091-3057 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/1300230|url-access=subscription }}
- {{Cite journal |last=Setzer |first=William |date=2009 |title=Essential Oils and Anxiolytic Aromatherapy |journal=Natural Product Communications |issn=1555-9475 |volume=4 |issue=9 |pages=1309 |doi=10.1177/1934578X0900400928 |pmid=19831048 |s2cid=38660119 |doi-access=free}}
- {{cite book |last1=Theophrastus |author1-link=Theophrastus |editor1-last=Hort |editor1-first=Arthur F. |title=Enquiry into Plants and Minor Works on Odours and Weather Signs |date=1916 |publisher=William Heinemann |location=London |isbn= |oclc=24148340 |url=https://archive.org/details/enquiryintoplan02theo/page/464/mode/2up |format= |volume=2}}
- {{cite journal |pmid=23770053 |year=2013 |last1=Vogl |first1=S. |last2=Picker |first2=P. |last3=Mihaly-Bison |first3=J. |last4=Fakhrudin |first4=N. |last5=Atanasov |first5=Atanas G. |last6=Heiss |first6=E.H. |last7=Wawrosch |first7=C. |last8=Reznicek |first8=G. |last9=Dirsch |first9=V.M. |last10=Saukel |first10=Johannes |last11=Kopp |first11=Brigitte |title=Ethnopharmacological in vitro studies on Austria's folk medicine-An unexplored lore in vitro anti-inflammatory activities of 71 Austrian traditional herbal drugs |doi=10.1016/j.jep.2013.06.007 |journal=Journal of Ethnopharmacology |issn=1872-7573 |pmc=3791396 |volume=149 |issue=3 |pages=750–771}}
- {{cite journal |last1=Zirkle |first1=Conway |title=Review: Thomas Jefferson's Garden Book. Edwin Morris Betts |journal=Isis |date=2001 |volume=92 |issue=4 |pages=84–85 |doi=10.1086/347980 |url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/347980 |language= |url-access=subscription |issn=1545-6994}}
{{refend}}
{{Commons|Melissa officinalis}}
{{Wikiversity-bc|Melissa officinalis}}
{{Herbs & spices}}
{{Medicinal herbs & fungi}}
{{GABAergics|state=collapsed}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q148396}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Flora of North Africa
Category:Plants described in 1753