Description
Melissa officinalis. 1.1L coir pot.
This lovely perennial has pungent lemon scented foliage.
White flowers will appear in summer.
The plant prefers a full sun to part shade position, can handle most soil types, and usually grows around 70cm in height.
Ideal for containers.
Harvesting can be done year round, and will aid in promoting new growth. The leaves can be used fresh or dried and stored in an airtight container for future use. They can be used in fruit salads, garden salads, ice cream, salad dressings and vegetable or chicken dishes. The leaves are also popular in hot tea or cold refreshing drinks in the warmer months.
Medicinally, lemon balm is believed to assist with colds, help relieve anxiety, headaches and digestive problems. Bruising the leaves is also believed to help speed up the healing process for insect bites and abrasions.