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