Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
[mel-ISS-sah oh-fi-shi-NAH-lis]

Deciduous Perennial Upright, Bushy in the Lamiaceae Family
A hardy, easy-to-grow mint-family herb with lemon-scented foliage and small white-to-pale-yellow flowers that bees, butterflies, and other pollinators love all summer long.

Lemon balm is a bushy, upright perennial herb in the mint family, grown for its light green, crinkled, lemon-scented leaves rather than for showy flowers. From late spring into late summer, small clusters of white to pale yellow, tubular flowers appear in the leaf axils, drawing bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Though not native to Illinois, it has escaped cultivation here and there in disturbed sites, and it readily self-seeds in the home garden if spent flower stalks aren't removed. Easy to grow and reliably hardy, it's best known as a flavoring for teas, salads, and summer drinks, and for its traditional use as a calming herb.

Pros

  • Fragrant, lemon-scented foliage useful fresh or dried in teas and cooking
  • Easy to grow and reliably winter-hardy
  • Attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators
  • Deer and rabbits generally leave it alone

Cons

  • Spreads readily in the garden by both self-seeding and rhizomes -- site where some spread is welcome, or grow in a container
  • Often short-lived, needing replacement every few years
  • Prone to powdery mildew in crowded, poorly ventilated spots
Why Like Not native to Illinois, but lemon balm has occasionally escaped cultivation and established itself in disturbed sites around the state -- thickets, fence rows, abandoned homesites, roadsides, and floodplains -- especially in urban and suburban areas. It's not considered aggressive or a problem species here, just an occasional garden escapee.
Highlights A classic culinary and tea herb with crinkled, lemon-scented leaves -- easy to grow, a magnet for bees and butterflies, and ignored by deer and rabbits, though best kept in check by snipping flower stalks before they set seed. Some gardeners also use it as a folk-remedy mosquito deterrent.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 18 - 24 inches tall. 18 - 36 inches wide.
Growth Rate Fast
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 3a - 7b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Attracts Bees, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Pollinators, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Edible Foliage, Fragrant Foliage, Full Sun, Herb, Low Maintenance, Medium, Non-Allergenic, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Rabbit Resistant
Bloom Period May - August
Flower Color White to Pale Yellow
Foliage Color
 

More Info from Experts

Commonly Planted with...

Combine with other culinary herbs like mint, thyme, sage, or chives in an herb garden, or let it fill in among taller perennials in an informal border.
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 02/05 - 05/10
2024 : 02/08 - 06/15
2023 : 05/04 - 06/04

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

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