Lemon balm has a long history as a medicinal herb and was valued for its calming, healing, and uplifting properties. The ancient Greeks believed it had the power to improve mood, calm nerves, and promote longevity and the ancient Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder (1st century CE), documented lemon balm’s ability to relieve anxiety and treat other disorders. In the Middle Ages, lemon balm was cultivated in monastic gardens as a medicinal herb associated with the ability to “gladden the heart” and was used to treat melancholy, which we now understand as depression or anxiety. In the 14th century, French Carmelite nuns created “Carmelite Water,” an elixir made with lemon balm, lemon zest, nutmeg, and other herbs, that was used to treat nervous tension and other health problems. Swiss alchemist and physician Paracelsus (1493–1541) called lemon balm the “elixir of life” and believed it could rejuvenate and prolong life. The 17th-century English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper believed that lemon balm could “drive away sadness”. European settlers brought lemon balm to the New World and used it to calm nerves as well as other health issues. Today, lemon balm is valued for its ability to reduce anxiety and stress and to improve mood and is often combined with valerian root to treat insomnia.
The Virgin Mary is often depicted as a comforting and nurturing figure and a source of consolation and healing, qualities that are also associated with the calming and restorative properties of lemon balm. The name “Sweet Mary” suggests kindness, a quality also associated with Mary. In medieval and Renaissance times the term “sweet” suggested spiritual purity and divine grace, also, attributes of Mary. Lemon balm, with its heart-shaped leaves and comforting properties, is a good choice for a Mary Garden as representation of Mary’s compassion and her role as a healer of souls. Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Lemon balm is a herbaceous perennial native to Eurasia. It is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae, that also includes sage, beebalm, and deadnettle. Plants grow up to 3.5′ tall from a fibrous root system and form bushy, rounded clumps. The square stems are slightly hairy and are often well branched. The bright green, heart-shaped leaves are soft, slightly hairy and have a crinkled appearance. They are 3/4 to 3 1/4″ long, have serrated margins, and emit a lemony scent when crushed. In summer, clusters of tubular, two-lipped flowers appear in the leaf axils. Each flower is less than 1/2″ long and pale yellow before turning white or pale lavender with maturity.
The genus name, Melissa, comes from the Greek word μέλισσα (mélissa), meaning bee and refers to the attraction of the flowers to bees. The specific epithet, officinalis, is the Latin word meaning belonging to an officina, the storeroom of a monastery, where medicines and other necessaries were kept, and refers to the medicinal use of the plant.
Lemon balm likes full sun to partial shade (especially in hot climates), and average, moderately moist, well drained soil in USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9. Plants are generally healthy but may suffer damage from a variety of fungi in overly wet conditions. Reproduction is by seed, cuttings of non-flowering stems in spring or early summer, and division.