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DESCRIPTION
Melissa officinalis
Family:
Labiatae / Mint
Other
Names: Common balm, lemon balm, Melissa, sweet
balm; bee balm; heart's delight; honey plant;
Zitronenmelisse, Melisse, Herztrost (German);
citronelle, baume, mélisse, Herbe citron (French);
melissa (Italian); Sidrunmeliss (Estonian); Badrangbuye,
Farandj moschk (Farsi); Sitruunamelissa (Finnish);
Mézfű, Orvosi citromfű, Macskaméz, Anyaméhfű
(Hungarian); Sítrónumelissa, Hjartafró (Icelandic);
Sitronmelisse (Norwegian); Melisa lekarska (Polish);
Melissa limonnaya, Limonnik (Russian); Balsamita maior,
Toronjil (Spanish); Citronmeliss, Hjärtansfröjd
(Swedish); Melisa, Ogul out (Turkish).
Constituents: Essential oil includes
cintronellal and geranial with neral; citral,
citronellol, eugenol, geraniol, polyphenols, flavonoids,
triterpenoids; caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide,
linalol, limonene.
Parts Used:
Leaves.
Character:
Cold, dry, sour, slightly bitter.
Actions:
Sedative, anti-depressant, digestive stimulant, promotes
sweating, relaxing restorative for nervous system,
antiviral (possibly due to polyphenols and tannins);
antibacterial, carminative, antispasmodic.
Language of Flowers: Social intercourse;
pleasant company of friends; memories; a cure; "Don't
misuse me."
Description: Bushy, rounded herbs. Height 3
feet; width 2 feet; flowers: small, white, tube-shaped,
1/3 inch long; leaves: oval, coming to a point, serrated
around the edges and strongly lemon-scented, 1 to 3
inches long. Blooms May to August.
Cultivation: Perennial Zone 3. Performs best in
a fertile soil with a pH of 5 to 7. Seeds may be sown in
the garden, either broadcast in one spot or in rows, as
soon as the ground can be worked in the spring. It will
germinate rapidly (7-14 days) in light in a flat at
temperature of 70 degree F in the medium. Seedlings
should be transplanted, when they have 4 true leaves, to
a deeper flat or small pots and hardened off before
setting out. Lemon balm will grow well in partial shade
or full sun. It probably exhausts the soil after two or
three years because it makes such a large clump so it
must be fertilized annually especially with nitrogen.
The old plants may die off in a wet winter, especially
where they do not have adequate drainage, but seedlings
volunteer from any plant that is not cut down completely
at the time of flowering. The roots do no seem to put
out runners as do mints, but they increase into a
hard-to-divide clump. There is a variegated form, called
"golden Lemon Balm". Full sun or partial shade for
lusher plants. If you wish to confine its growth, don't
hesitate to cut into the plant to within a 6 inch
diameter in late fall of the second year and every two
years thereafter. Flower spikes form in midsummer, which
stops leaf production. Cut off these flowering stems 6
inches from the crown. The first cutting from a new
plant can usually begin 10 weeks after transplanting. Do
not cut more than half the plant at a time. Harvested
stems can be hung in bundles in a dark, dry,
well-ventilated room for 4 to 7 days and is
approximately 80% water, then stripped and stored in an
opaque container for later use. Yields of dry herb are
1,500 to 2,500 pounds per acre.
History:
The botanical name, melissa, is Greek for "bee".
Lemon balm has been cultivated in the Mediterranean
region for about 2000 years. The Muslim herbalist
Avicenna recommended lemon balm "to make the heart
merry." Paracelsus claimed this herb could completely
revitalize the body and called it the "elixir of life",
and 14th century French King Charles V drank its tea
every day to keep his health. The famous Carmelite
Water, first made by 17th century Carmelite nuns to
treat nervous headache and neuralgia, combined lemon
balm with lemon-peel, nutmeg, coriander and angelica
root. Sacred to the temple of Diana, lemon balm was
called "heart's delight' in southern Europe. Its virtue
of dispelling melancholy has been praised by herbal
writers for centuries, and it is still used today in
aromatherapy to counter depression.
Aromatherapy Uses:
Extraction method: Essential oil by steam distillation
from the leaves and flowering tops.
Characteristics: A pale yellow liquid with a light,
fresh lemony fragrance.
Blends with: Lavender, geranium, floral and citrus oils.
Uses:
Skin care: Allergies, insect bites, insect
repellent.
Respiratory: Asthma, bronchitis, chronic coughs;
useful for colds and influenza.
Digestive: Colic, indigestion, nausea; good for
vomiting and indigestion of a nervous origin, relieving
spasms and flatulence.
Circulatory: A tonic for the heart, slowing its
action, relieving palpitations and lowering blood
pressure.
Genito-urinary: Menstrual problems especially
painful periods.
Nervous: Anxiety, depression, hypertension,
insomnia, migraine, nervous tension, shock and vertigo.
Emotion: Melissa is vivacious and provocative,
revitalizing the inner self and calming the senses.
Makes the heart merry and joyful. Also helpful in
dispelling a sense of dejection in times of grief or
bereavement. Melissa calms raging emotions, engendering
a state of quiet peace.
Other: Used extensively as a fragrance component
in toiletries, cosmetics and perfumes. Employed in most
major food categories including alcoholic and soft
drinks.
Blends:
Digestive: 5 drops Melissa, 3 drops peppermint, 3 drops
cardamom
Circulatory: 4 drops Melissa, 4 drops ylang-ylang, 2
drops clary sage
Nervous: 4 drops Melissa, 3 drops vetivert, 2 drops
Roman chamomile
Emotion: 4 drops Melissa, 4 drops orange, 3 drops
frankincense
Culinary
Uses: Fresh lemon balm imparts a subtle lemon
flavor and fresh lemon fragrance, making it especially
nice for fruit dishes, custards, and tea. Early fresh
leaves can be chopped and added to salads; just reduce
the vinegar or lemon juice somewhat.
Cut the leaves into slivers and sprinkle over fish or
add to poached fruit where a lemony flavor is desired.
Lemon balm can be used in stuffings, sauces, or any dish
in which you would use lemon thyme. It enhances the
flavor of vegetables, light grains, roast chicken,
steamed vegetables and fruit salads. Lay fish or chicken
over a bed of lemon balm leaves before baking: you won't
need any other seasonings. Stir the minced leaves into
cooked rice or into clarified butter for dipping
artichoke leaves. Try stuffing a handful of the leaves
and some minced green onions under the skin of chicken
breasts, then sprinkle with lemon pepper before baking
or grilling.
Stir chopped fresh lemon balm into plain yogurt and
sprinkle with any kind of fresh berries. The minced
leaves can be added to a cooked soft custard to pour
over fresh fruit. Add the leaves to iced tea or place
sprigs of fresh lemon balm in a tall chilled wine glass
with white wine; add a splash of sparkling water for a
summer spritzer.
Spread cream cheese blended with a small amount of
mayonnaise on slices of whole-grain bread, then add lots
of lemon balm leaves and generous slices of juicy
nectarines, strawberries, or peaches. Or try some of the
leaves in an omelet with fresh strawberries and creme
fraiche.
For a late-night soothing tea, steep lemon balm leaves
in a cup of boiling water. Stir in honey and lemon
juice, to taste.
Dried lemon balm is mainly used for tea. For other uses,
it's better to freeze the leaves for later use, packed
into plastic bags. They'll keep well for up to 2 months.
Chopping with a knife usually bruises the leaves,
causing them to discolour so tear the leaves into small
pieces instead.
Known as a traditional wine herb, lemon balm is used to
flavor many liqueurs Use 1/2 ounce of the fresh leaves
late in the boil in a home brewed beer to add a strong
lemon scent and flavor.
Medicinal
Uses: Energetics: sour, spicy cool; lemon balm's
main action is as a tranquilizer. It calms a nervous
stomach, colic, or heart spasms. The leaves are reputed
to also lower blood pressure. It is very gentle,
although effective, so is often suggested for children
and babies. The hot tea brings on a sweat that is good
for relieving colds, flues and fevers and an antiviral
agent has been found that combats mumps, cold sores and
other viruses.
The tea has also been shown to inhibit the division of
tumor cells. Studies indicate that the herb slightly
inhibits the thyroid-stimulating hormone and restricts
Grave's disease, a hyperthyroid condition. Lemon balm's
antihistamine action is useful to treat eczema and
headaches and accounts for the centuries-old tradition
of placing the fresh leaf on insect bites and wounds.
Lemon balm has antipyretic, refreshing, cholagogic and
stimulating properties. Use a pad soaked in the infusion
to relieve painful swellings such as gout. Use as
ointment for sores, insect bites, or to repel insects.
Use hot infused oil as ointment or gentle massage oil
for depression, tension, asthma and bronchitis.
A clinical multicentric study in Germany offers evidence
of the antiviral activity of a specially prepared dried
extract of lemon balm against herpes simplex infections.
The extract was a concentrated (70:1) dry extract of
lemon balm which was included at a level of 1% in a
cream base. Patients applied the cream 2-4 times daily
for 5-10 days. In the group receiving the active Melissa
cream, there was a significant improvement in symptoms
on day two compared to the placebo group and on day five
over 50% more patients were symptom-free than in the
placebo group. To be effective, the treatment must be
started in the very early stages of the infection.
Research has clearly demonstrated the plant's ability to
impact the limbic system of the brain and "protect" the
brain from the powerful stimuli of the body and should
be part of any ADHD formula.
Cosmetic
Uses: Lemon Balm has many cosmetic uses
including use as a bath freshener, astrigent and
mouthwash. See the recipes below.
Ritual Use:
Lemon Balm is primarily used in the pursuit of romance.
It is an herb which attracts, and is sometimes made into
a charm and worn to bring a lover into one's life. It
may also be used as a bathing herb, some of the
delightfully scented leaves scattered over the water, or
an infusion poured to mix with the bath. This is also
said to attract romance. Planetary ruler: Venus
Other Uses:
Used in potpourris. In the 16th century, it was rubbed
on beehives to encourage the bees to create honey.
Because it contains citronella oil it is used in insect
repellants.
Toxicity:
Prolonged contact with balm plants or leaves may cause
contact dermatitis (itching, sting, burning, reddened or
blistered skin) or it may sensitize you to other
allergens.
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