Bright green ruffled leaves with a great lemon scent and flavor. Lemon balm was originally grown as a honey bee plant (Melissa means honey bee in Greek), it was found to be a great tea plant, used as a relaxing tonic and to lift the spirits. It is also very anti-viral, and research has shown that it has value fighting herpes and cold sores.

 

It can be an invasive plant, as it spreads quickly by seed and the clump also grows fairly quickly. It can be divided easily. Grow in sun or almost complete shade. It is an easy to grow container plant. It grows well with little fertilizer and in poor soils. Prune back occasionally, to keep growth looking neat prevent seeds from forming. The younger leaves are far superior in flavor and oil content.