Growing Lemon Balm

Melissa, Lemon balm
I choose to introduce lemon balm first in my blogs because it is a wild edible in the Pacific Northwest. Also she has long been known as an important medicinal herb, it's delicate lemon flavors enhance most any dish, and it is a good potpourri green.

Lemon balm grows well in the sun but prefers shade. It is a fantastic potted companion on your porch. Lemon balm can contain as high as 24% citronella oil. Misquotes don't like the smell. I like to rub her leaves on my exposed arms and legs and put a wreath of lemon balm on my head or at least a piece behind my ear.

I consider Lemon Balm to be a very dear friend. I often refer to it as her. I find her delicate fragrance, and nurturing supportive effects comforting like a loving motherly companion.
I have grown lemon balm all over the United States. Most nurseries will have some usually in the mint section.
Growing lemon balm requires a  rest in the cold winter ground. She drops her leaves and dies back to stems. So she is not a good house plant in the winter but if you keep her watered and in good ventilation she is a nice house guest for a while.

 During the growing season I often cut mine down to the ground a couple of times. The flavor of leaves is generally thought to be the best just before flowering. I cut them to the ground and dry the leaves for later.
She likes moist and shade and she puts up all fresh leaves and is soon preparing to flower in early summer. Melissa, Lemon Balm's formal name means Bees and they adore her flowers. I let the bees have their fill of the flowers the rest of the summer and welcome the seedlings I am guaranteed next spring.
Lemon Balm can be divided in the winter or seeded in the spring. It is a very giving plant. It gives and gives and gives. I love to give either as a porch plant or for those unable to grow most herbs because they have a lot of shade.
If you want the most detailed information on growing herbs check out my friend and college Professor Arthur Tucker's book The Big Book of Herbs
Art and Tom Debaggio have put together years of science and experience to produce this "Comprehensive Illustrated Reference to Herbs of Flavor and Fragrance".

Sun tea is the easiest, cleanest tasting way to become familiar with Lemon Balm. Cup of tea anyone!

Whether used for food, medicine or wild edible Lemon Balm is a great friend to gather!

Lemon Balm" Melissa officinalis" for medicine

 I am not a doctor all I can legally or morally tell you is what the literature says, what historical literature says and my own experience. But I believe the best information I can share with you is my favorite resources. When it comes to our health it is so important that we check and double check our references!
I am very picky about who I trust with the medicinal information I need. I have been studying herbs as medicine since Back To Eden by Jethro Kloss was the manual for the herb courses of the 1970's the book was originally written in 1939!
 One of my favorite herb authors is James A Duke PhD. He worked for the USDA as a botanist of medicinal plants for 30 years. His book the Green Pharmacy is my favorite but each is a treasure to own. Gratefully he has a web site and link to his herbal data base. He lets you use his site to learn the phytochemical and ethnobotanical information on herbs.  He also gives the activity for the chemicals in plants http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/
I recommend checking the copyright too when looking for medical herbal help. I insist on three reliable sources before even consider taking some new herb.
Melissa Officinalis is listed as helpful for chronic fatigue syndrome, graves disease, headaches, herpes virus, hypothyroidism, insomnia, shingles, viral infections, mild tranquilizer and is used as a natural Ritalin in natural medicines.

Drying Lemon Balm in the car?

Get your dry Lemon Balm from your car. If you followed me and put some lemon balm in a paper bag to dry then, it is time to bottle our herbs.  This is the easiest way to dry herbs but only if you have a warm dry climate at the time you are drying. If you have any doubt about the weather drying your herbs in three days or less than use a food dryer to insure you don't grow mold on your leaves. If you would like to try dried Lemon Balm with out the work try my favorite herb supplier!

Now this is important! You are your own quality control. For myself I have to get the clean glasses on and turn up the lights and look carefully and consciously at the plant leaves I am gathering.
If I find a leaf that is darker than the others I remove it.

If I hold a stalk of lemon balm at the bottom and pull it through my fingers I get the dried leaves. Now I like to put my dried herbs in labeled dated bottles and keep them cool and dark.

Anyone for a cup of tea?

Cooking with Lemon Balm

I just gathered some more lemon balm and used it to cook 2 whole chickens.

First I washed the lemon balm in clean water and patted it dry.

I wash the chickens and lift the skin by sliding my hand or spatula between the skin and breasts.

I stick in the lemon balm stems and all. This makes getting it out easier before you serve it.

I oiled and sprinkled a little black pepper and we are good for dinner later.

Lemon Balm has such a mellow lemon taste it is surprisingly delicious on chicken, fish or vegetables. I like the young tip leaves in my salads too!

Three dogs can't be wrong, yum!

Lemon Balm wild edible, medicine, culinary

Name That Plant

She prefers to live in the NWwoods scattered in the shade,

But thrives anywhere she is laid.

When she is invited to tea she has an uplifting and soothing demeanor.

She tastes of fragrance of lemon faint and so pure. 

When sick she is trusted upon to be strong,

She helps our immune defenses along.

Wear her and rub yourself with her smell.

And her protection will befell,

for she repels misquotes and attract bees.

Can you name her please?

Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis

Do you have lemon balm growing?

It is a good time to harvest lemon balm just before it blooms. This is getting close at my place. Lemon balm can be cut to a couple inches off the ground without hurting it. That is unless it is a plant in stress and one more hardship would kill it.

The easy way to dry it for me is to punch some holes in a paper bag with the scissors and put the lemon balm in it. Label and hang the bag in a warm ventilated room.
Or put it in a hot summer car for a short time. The car is a low energy food dryer on hot low humidity days.
Label the paper bag trust me!
Once dry pick the leaves from he stem and put in a jar for today.

label, label.label

Perfect Possible Magical

I am Grateful that all things are Perfect Possible and Magical!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I chant daily this prayer two amazing little girls gave me
The magical stories of how my life has changed are radical
How Perfect Possible and Magical our lives are if we believe!

My name is LaPlante and I speak for the plants
Come and meet them with me if you please!

This web site and blog is a magic carpet to facilitate my passion.
I am very grateful to everyone who is checking out our site and giving input. 

I have always found that standing barefoot in an herb garden picking and introducing herbs and weeds to the young and old  is my 'fountain of youth.'

Hours pass and I never notice because I am IN THE NOW.