Lemon balm
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a perennial herb in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. It grows to 70–150 cm tall. The leaves have a gentle lemon scent, related to mint. At the end of the summer, little white flowers full of nectar appear and attract bees. Its flavour comes from the terpenes citronellal, citronellol, citral, and geraniol.
| Lemon Balm | |
|---|---|
| |
| Lemon Balm | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Division: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | M. officinalis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Melissa officinalis | |
Lemon Balm Media
An illustration of Melissa officinalis from Flora von Deutschland Österreich und der Schweiz (1885)
A bumblebee feeding on a lemon balm flower
The plant seen in visible light, ultraviolet light and infrared
.jpg)
-flower-Vis-UV-IR-comparison.jpg)