Melissa officinalis. Just as intensely aromatic as traditional Lemon Balm, this variety is strongly mandarin orange-scented! Incredibly fragrant addition to bouquets and nice to make tea with too. Perennial.

HARVEST

You can harvest handfuls of balm leaves for fresh use almost any time during the growing season. For a large harvest of leaves that will be dried for tea or medicinal use, it is preferable to wait until the plant begins to put on flower buds or just as the flowers begin to open. This is when the volatile oils in the leaves are at their greatest concentration.

When you are ready, cut each stem just above a pair of leaves using a very sharp pair of scissors or pruning shears. You can cut the plant down to within six to eight inches of the soil. A good rule of thumb is to remove no more than two-thirds of the vegetative growth at any one time. Finish the job by pruning stray stems and shaping so the plant looks tidy, and then water it deeply.

A second harvest may be possible in the fall if the plant is healthy and has regenerated many new leaves, but the first harvest is always the sweetest and most fragrant.

GROWING

Full Sun

Grows 24 inches tall.

Space 8-12 inches apart

NOTES

Pinch to encourage branching.