common balm

Melissa officinalis L.

Common balm, often called lemon balm, is a bushy perennial grown for its lemon-scented leaves. It forms a loose mound of branching stems and can spread through both rhizomes and seedlings. The aromatic foliage has long made it useful in herb gardens, where leaves and flowers are used to flavour teas and food. NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Melissa officinalis

Botanical name

Kew accepts Melissa officinalis L. in Lamiaceae. Kew Plants of the World Online: Melissa officinalis

Recognizing the plant

Broadly egg-shaped leaves have scalloped margins and deeply impressed veins that give the surface a quilted appearance. The flowers are small, tubular and two-lipped, usually creamy white or sometimes pale purple. These modest blossoms contrast with the prominent texture of the foliage. Singapore NParks Flora & Fauna Web: Melissa officinalis

Bloom window

North Carolina horticultural account

NC State describes small white flowers appearing throughout summer, in whorls at the axils of the upper leaves. NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Melissa officinalis

Native range

Its native range runs from the Mediterranean into Central Asia, including North Africa, southern Europe and western Asian regions eastward to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Cultivation has carried it far beyond that range: Kew records introductions through much of North America, northern Europe, New Zealand and parts of South America. Kew Plants of the World Online: Melissa officinalis

Ecological relationships

The flowers attract bees, according to the same extension account. NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Melissa officinalis

Botanical sources

Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.