| 
| 
Lemon Balm: Herb of Good Cheer
Lemon Balm, Melissa Offinialis, a. k. a. Sweet Melissa, Balm
Like most other members of the Mint Family, Lemon Balm is durable. Come spring in the Willamette Valley, it greets the neighborhood in every available corner. Lemon Balm grows happily in my drought garden, along the driveway, under the tire swing and between my vegetable beds. The conventional gardener may see this plant as a weed but the herbalist sees it as an opportunity.
Lemon Balm is excellent for treating anxiety and battling some hard-to-treat viruses. The list of symptoms from anxiety is vast but Melissa tackles them all bravely. It is equally fearless when it comes to taking on viruses as daunting as Mono and Herpes. This is a herb that every healer wants in their medicine cabinet.
Medicinal Properties and Actions of Lemon Balm
Lemon Balm's sedative properties are fairly mild but it's nervine properties command attention. It soothes not only the nervous system in an effective and yet gentle way. The list of illnesses that it is used for is seemingly endless since so anxiety is a natural symptom of being sick. This herb works directly on the thyroid to lessen the output of excess T3 (a common cause of nervous tension).
The stomach is also soothed by Lemon balm's presence. Used as a tea, this herb helps the body to digest food more effectively. The essential oil present in fresh or well preserved Lemon Balm does wonders to decrease painful spasms that haunt sufferers of IBS. The carminitive properties in this minty little herb are favorites with parents of children with fussy stomachs as well.
For headaches, the body uses Lemon Balm's vasodilatation properties to ease the tension. Constricted blood vessels are the usual culprit for throbbing temples. Flu symptoms that also include fever also make use of Lemon Balm's diaphoretic properties to bring down the basal temperature.
As soothing as this herb is, it is easy to see why it is used as an anti-depressive. Lemon Balm treats multiple symptoms throughout the body. Many depression problems are relieved when other aches and pains that the mind takes for granted are erased. This is what earns Lemon Balm it's name "Herb of Good Cheer".
Conditions Best Helped by Lemon Balm
Lemon Balm is a favorite for herbalists treating symptoms of anxiety and sleeplessness. It is soothing both in scent and in taste. Headaches, stomach aches, naseua, depression and nervousness seem to melt under Lemon Balm' tender, loving hand. It is easy to give to children and adults due to its pleasant, lemony taste. Patients that are already taking barbiturates will note that Lemon Balm increases it's effectiveness.
Both cold sores and genital herpes are caused by the same virus family called Herpesviridae. This family also includes chicken pox, shingles, mono, and Sixth disease. Lemon Balm is often referred to in literature as a strong antiviral but it specializes in treating members of this virus family. Other viruses like the flu may have decreased symptoms after using Lemon Balm but the flu virus itself shows little sign of damage when this herb is brought into play.
Hyperthyroidism displays many of the symptoms that Lemon Balm solves. The overactive thyroid gland produces too much T3 which causes nervous tension. As Lemon Balm is ideally suited to treat anxiety and blocks iodine from converting T4 into T3, this plant is the perfect friend for people with this disease.
For more information on the conditions best helped by Herb Name, see the topics in Conditions, including:
- Cold Sores
- Genital Herpes
- Mild Depression
- Headache (caused by anxiety)
- Hypertension
- Hyperthyroidism
- Palpitations
- Stomach Aches
- Mononucleosis and other members of the herpesviridae family (see above)
List of Lemon Balm's Medicinal Actions
Nervine, Sedative, Antiviral, Carminative, Diaphoretic, Antispasmotic and Antidepressive.
Medicinal Processing
Lemon Balm can render into an effective tincture fairly rapidly. Whiskey, bourbon or brandy make wonderful alcohol bases without the bother of dilution. The standard ratio for weight is 1:1. Be sure to dry extra Lemon Balm for strengthening your finished tincture if it is not quite up to snuff.
Lemon Balm is simple to cook into a glycerite. A standard 70% Glycerin to 30% water formula is required. The usual weight ratio is 1:5 or 1:4 depending on the strength required. Lemon Balm essential oil is very expensive and most herbalist use a few drops of the less expensive Lemon essential oil instead.
Try making Lemon Balm vinegar. A few sprigs tossed into a bottle of Rice Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar makes an excellent base for a spring salad dressing.
Lemon Balm tea can be brewed from either fresh or dry herb. Sun tea or stovetop brewed tea is a great pick-me-up after a long day at work. Throw a fresh sprig in tea cups of Lemon Balm tea that you serve to guests.
For more information on basic herbal preparations, see the topics in Herbal How-to.
Gardening, Growing, and Gathering Lemon Balm
Lemon Balm is easy to grow in zones 4 - 9. It prefers moist, not soggy, loamy soil in full sun but will develop more volitle oils when grow in drier, shadier soils. It can tolerate a vast pH range from 5 to 8 in the soil. Lemon Balm flowers in the summer and provides an excellent source of nectar for bees and hummingbirds.
Lemon Balm has the square stems indicitive of the mint family with green, oval, finely toothed leaves that grow opposite each other on the stem. The leaves also have fine hairs that capture morning dew and helps keep the plant moist. Flowers are small and yellow to white depending on soil type. It can vary in heigth between 12 inches to well over 3 feet.
More identification information can be found on the USDA Plant ID site.
Lemon Balm can be harvested several times a season after its first year in areas where it grows as a perennial. First year plants or plants that live in areas where it grows as an annual can be harvested once a year just at the flowering stage. Cut the aerial parts of the plant so that 2 to 3 inches of the stem above the ground is left to regrow.
To allow the plant to reseed, leave some flowering stems unharvested. Lemon Balm also spreads by runners so watch that the roots don't wander into unwanted areas. This herb is vigorous in the right setting and is considered an invasive or noxious species in some parts of the country.
|
|
Quick ID tips |
||
Lemon Balm
|
|||
 |
Appearance: |
|
Square stem with opposite green, oval, toothed leaves covered in fine hairs. Flowers are small and yellow to white depending on the age of the plant. It can vary in height between 12 inches to well over 3 feet. |
|
Taste: |
|
Lemon taste with mild minty overtones |
|
Odor |
|
Distinct lemon scent |
Using Lemon Balm to Care for Animals
The same properties, uses, and cautions that apply toward humans also apply toward animals for Lemon Balm. Although Lemon Balm and other members of the mint family is often averted by animals, it's topical use is very helpful. Dabbing a cotton swab in Lemon Balm vinegar and applying it to swollen, unbroken tissue is a great way to bring relief to injured animals. Lemon Balm oil makes a great salve that treats cuts and scrapes and quickly soothes upset critters.
Recipes, Household Formulas, and Non-medicinal Uses of Lemon Balm
A little patch of Lemon Balm in the garden, particularly near the bedroom windows, brings uplifting energy on dark days. We get a lot of cloudy days here in the Pacific Northwest. I've found that a bit of lemon balm growing in close proximity to my home brings just enough sunny energy to give my family the lift we need during long spans of dark weather. When the going gets particularly tough, we pick a few sprigs for our drinking water, but most of the time Lemon Balm's presence is enough.
Lemon Balm has also been used as the scent for English furniture polishes.
For more recipes and ideas for using Lemon Balm, see the topics in Recipes.
History, Folklore, and Magical Properties of Lemon Balm
Lemon Balm was carried into Europe through Spanish trade routes, eventually making its way into the monastic gardens through out Europe. It was included in the formula for Carmelite water, a drink and perfume developed and closely guarded by the Carmelite friars and used as a drink to ward off nervous headaches and as a perfume to bring good cheer while masking strong odors in medieval and renaissance Europe.
For more information on Lemon Balm's place in history, see Lemon Balm by Melissa Morrison.
In folklore, Lemon Balm was used to ward off evil, and to promote good health, love, and good cheer.
Lemon Balm sachets placed under your pillow or near the bed are reputed to provide a refreshing, relaxing sleep.
Lemon Balm Magic
Lemon Balm's presence is quiet and strong. Running through the soil like her minty cousins, she spreads just under the surface with steady, clear intention. In this way, she reminds us that good cheer and sunny confidence will proliferate even when we're not aware of their presence on the surface of our lives. Lemon Balm magic is the magic of quiet, steady trust.
Lemon Balm's effect on honeybees, attracting them and encouraging them to remain in their hives, reminds us to nurture our homes, our friends and family, our communities. Through the simple act of contributing to our household, we nurture ourselves. In this way, Lemon Balm asks us to seek joy and peace in the mundane tasks of life as a way of self-nurturing.
Thriving in both sun and shade, soils of a wide pH, dry and damp conditions, Lemon Balm teaches versatility, particularly in how we grow. If Lemon Balm has popped up in your life, it may be time to ask yourself what conditions are present in your life that you must embrace to thrive. Has a challenge surfaced that you resist? Have you identified an aspect of your life that feels unbearable, burdensome, like a whole lotta work? Lemon Balm can help you identify the trouble and find ways to adapt and thrive amidst it, or maybe in spite of it.
I like to think of Lemon Balm magic as the magic of relax-its-only-life. That's the feeling I get from bruising her leaves and taking in her scent. However melancholy I may feel, whatever darkness or heaviness seems to plague my life, the scent of Melissa officinalis always brings a smile to my lips. Lemon Balm magic is the magic of steady, calm, persistent, good cheer.
In Astrology, Lemon Balm is considered a feminine plant and is governed by the Moon. Lemon Balm's element is water. In Ayruvedic medicine, Lemon Balm's energy is pungent, sour-sweet, cool, and wet.
Cautions for Lemon Balm
As Lemon Balm is intended for use with hyperthyroidism, this means that is contraindicated for hypothyroidism.
Patients that are already taking barbiturates will note that taking Lemon Balm internally increases its effectiveness.
Pregnant women should be cautious in using Lemon Balm.