Lemon Balm: Versatile and Healthful Herb

Lemon balm, a member of the mint family, is a wonderful addition to any herb, container, or window-sill garden. Unlike mint, it has a wonderful lemony smell and flavor; however, it is just as easy to grow as mint. Lemon balm, a perennial native to southern Europe, will easily adapt to growth in almost any climate. It will die down in the winter months, however, the root will not die and the plant will come back in the spring. The leaves of the plant have a strong lemony scent when bruised or crushed; they also have a strong lemon flavor. Lemon balm flowers are small white or yellow blooms; it blooms from June to October with these pretty flowers.

Lemon balm is a very easy to grow herb. It grows well in just about any type of soil and, once established, it is a very drought resistant plant. You can start lemon balm from cuttings, seeds, or even dividing the roots of an existing plant. When started from seeds, however, be forewarned that lemon balm seeds are very slow to germinate. Once they are established, however, the plant will freely re-seed itself and can fast become a weed.

Lemon balm has many uses, both culinary and medicinal. Its wonderful lemon flavor makes it a wonderful addition to salads, dressings and sauces, fish, poultry, and many different casseroles as well. You can also make a very good lemon flavored herbal tea using lemon balm leaves. To make tea using lemon balm, simply pour 8 ounces of boiling water over about one tablespoon of crushed lemon balm leaves and allow to steep for 10 to 15 minutes. This tea can have many health benefits as well as a wonderful taste.

For example, if you are having trouble sleeping, stomach complaints, or bloating drink the tea several times a day. Lemon balm tea will help with these ailments. If you have cold sores steep 2 to 4 tablespoons of crushed lemon balm leaves in one cup of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes and apply the tea to the sores throughout the day. It will actually help. If you are using the lemon balm tea for stomach ailments, you can also add mint and spearmint leaves to the lemon balm leaves. Both of these herbs also help with stomach problems and will make the tea work much better than just lemon balm alone.

You can also make an ointment out of the lemon balm oil from the leaves. To make a lemon balm ointment simply heat 2 to 4 tablespoons of chopped or crushed lemon balm leaves in oil - olive oil works well for this - almost to the boiling point. Add beeswax to the herb/oil combination and stir to melt and combine. Pour the hot ointment into sealable containers and allow to cool. You can also use this same process with other herbs. The lemon balm ointment is good for sores, insect bites, and cuts. It has an antiviral and antibacterial property that makes it a good choice. It is also soothing and will sooth insect bites and rashes.

Lemon balm will, as mentioned earlier make a wonderful salad dressing. To make a lemon balm vinaigrette dressing, mix a lightly flavored oil like olive oil, chopped or crushed lemon balm leaves, black pepper, and rice vinegar. It makes a very delicious vinaigrette dressing for use in salads or even on light foods like fish. It will also store well.

Lemon balm is a wonderful herb with many uses. It is also very good for health and easy to grow. These are only some of the uses for this versatile herb. It makes a wonderful addition to any home garden.