Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm)

Description: Lemon Balm is a vigorous, bushy herbaceous perennial prized for its bright green, serrated foliage that releases a wonderfully uplifting lemon fragrance when brushed or crushed. A fully hardy member of the mint family, it thrives reliably throughout South England gardens. The small white flowers that appear from June to August attract bees and beneficial pollinators in abundance—its botanical name Melissa derives from the Greek word for honeybee. This versatile herb is equally at home in herb gardens, kitchen windowsills, borders, and containers. The aromatic leaves are harvested fresh for teas, salads, desserts, and cold drinks, or dried for winter use. Once established, Lemon Balm is drought-tolerant and undemanding, thriving in most well-drained soils including average garden soil. It prefers full sun to partial shade for optimal leaf flavour and growth. The plant spreads readily, so consider container cultivation or root barriers if space is limited. Regular cutting back after flowering encourages fresh new foliage production throughout the growing season.

Other benefits: deciduous, herb garden, borders, containers, pollinator planting

Height & spread (approx.) at 10 years: 0.7m x 0.5m

Position: full sun to partial shade

Winter hardiness: cold hardy to -20°C