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Melissa officinalis

Lemon balm

Generally recognised as safe

Lemon-scented leaves; a beloved tea herb.

A hardy perennial with opposite leaves.

Family
Lamiaceae
Plant type
Perennial herb
What the safety levels mean (expand legend)
  • Generally recognised as safe. Often a common herb with reasonable harvest and use; still read the specific warnings on the card.
  • Information. Primarily informational — details in the text and warnings below matter most.
  • Caution. Needs extra care (dose, duration, sensitive groups, interactions).
  • Risky. Significant risks — verify sources, contraindications and professional guidance.
  • Not for home experimentation. Not suitable to experiment with at home without knowledge and certainty.
  • High risk for internal use. Particular risk with internal use (e.g. alkaloids); avoid prolonged or irresponsible dosing.
  • Not specified. Level not filled in yet — rely on individual warnings and links below.
Lemon balm — botanical illustration of a flowering branch and flower and fruit details.

Illustration from Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen (1897), public domain.

Identification

Safety — read before use

For this herb it is important to check warnings, mix-ups and cautions. Start with the Safety section.

Quick overview

A practical summary; details are in the sections below.

Safety grade
Generally recognised as safe details
Scientific sources on the card
Yes — sources are listed with claims Science section
When and what to harvest
  • Leaf — May–September
Full harvest section
Processing methods

Herbal infusion (tea), Honey macerate, Syrup, Glycerite and more

All methods and recipes on the card
Topics and symptoms

Anxiety & inner restlessness, Bloating & gas, Body cleansing (folk framing)…

Topics section, Symptoms overview

Identification and mix-ups

Lemon balm has branched, short-haired stems and opposite, stalked leaves. The blades are ovate, coarsely toothed, about 2–8 cm long and lemon-scented when rubbed. Small white, two-lipped flowers, about 1 cm long, occur in small groups in the upper leaf axils. Check scent together with leaves and flowers; scent alone does not establish the species.

Possible mix-ups and risks

White dead-nettle (Lamium album) has similar leaves but much larger white flowers, about 2–2.5 cm long. Peppermint (Mentha × piperita) usually has pinkish-purple flowers in terminal spike-like clusters, rather than the small axillary groups of lemon balm. Mint or lemon scent is a supporting character; do not taste or harvest an unidentified plant.

Similar herbs

  • Peppermint

    Similar use in herbal teas; watch for precise species identification when foraging.

  • English lavender

    Aromatic herbs often paired with an evening tea; different essential oils and possible confusion with ornamental lavender species.

  • St John's wort

    Often together in discussions of "calm" and herbal teas — St John's wort has its own topics around interactions and sun.

  • White dead-nettle

    Same botanical family; when foraging leaves always verify the species — confusion is common for beginners.

Topics and symptoms

More topics are in the symptoms and topics overview.

Sources

Geographic occurrence

  • Czechia

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    Widespread occurrence in the Czech Republic in suitable habitats.

  • Austria

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

  • Germany

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

  • Hungary

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

  • Poland

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

  • Slovakia

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

  • France

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

  • Japan

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

  • Morocco

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

  • Canada

    Occasional (garden, cultivation, or fringe of the range)

  • Australia

    Occasional (garden, cultivation, or fringe of the range)

  • South Africa

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

Harvest

  • LeafMay–September

    summer

    Region: Czechia

    Notes: Pick young healthy leaves as the plant grows from spring into autumn, preferably for fresh use. For drying, harvest after dew has dried; store fully dried leaves airtight, away from heat and light. The calendar is indicative; local weather and plant condition take precedence.

Storage

  • Drying(Leaf)

    Keep dried plant material in a sealed container.

    Light:
    Out of direct UV.
    Moisture:
    Low relative humidity.

Processing methods on this herb card

  • Herbal infusion (tea)(Leaf)Suitability: High suitability

    Infusion or brief extraction in hot water; usually without long boiling.

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    Here, herbal tea is prepared as an infusion: pour freshly boiling water over dried herbs or a herbal blend and steep for at least 5 minutes. BfR gives this as a hygiene rule, not a medicinal dose. Follow the specific product instructions, including a longer steeping time when stated. This rule for herbal infusions is not a general preparation guide for true tea (Camellia sinensis). Temperature, steep time, and the herb-to-water ratio change both flavour and what dissolves into the liquid.

    Compared with a decoction, heat exposure is shorter and gentler; tender leaves and flowers are often better as an infusion than with prolonged simmering. For each herb, always follow the plant card for suitable plant part, preparation, and safety notes — general rules never replace species-level judgement.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

    Lemon balm leaf tea

    About 12 minBeginnerScience profile

    Open recipe →

  • Honey macerate(Leaf)Suitability: High suitability

    Macerating plant material in honey (a honey conserve).

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    Honey as a maceration medium creates a viscous mixture with its own biochemistry: water activity, acidity, and enzymes influence shelf life and flavour. Traditionally it is used with delicate flowers or herbs when you want aroma bound into honey.

    Infant botulism guidance for honey and honey safety in general sit outside a single herb page; maceration time, ratios, and storage must follow a vetted recipe and source, not this general overview alone.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

    Lemon balm honey

    BeginnerScience profile

    Open recipe →

  • Syrup(Leaf)Suitability: High suitability

    Decoction or infusion with sweetener and reduction; shelf life depends on sugar and storage.

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    Syrups combine a herbal base with sugar or honey and often a short boil to concentrate and improve hygiene. Preservation depends strongly on water content, sugar level, and bottling practice.

    Home syrups may fall under food rules; store in the fridge after opening per recipe.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

    Lemon balm syrup

    BeginnerScience profile

    Open recipe →

  • Glycerite(Leaf)Suitability: High suitability

    Extraction in vegetable glycerol (often with some water); alcohol-free.

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    A glycerite uses viscous glycerol as part of the solvent. The extracted profile differs from an ethanol tincture and from plain water; home preparation needs accurate ratios, cleanliness, and some sense of mixture stability.

    Legality and safety depend on country and intended use; this overview is not a recipe or a product assessment for a specific herb.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: yes

    Lemon balm glycerite

    BeginnerScience profile

    Open recipe →

  • Tincture(Leaf)Suitability: High suitability

    Alcoholic or alcohol–water maceration extract.

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    A tincture is usually a long maceration of plant material in ethanol (sometimes with water). Alcohol and time release different compound groups than hot water alone; concentration and stability depend on the herb-to-solvent ratio and procedure.

    Home production involves legal and safety limits that vary by country; this site gives a general overview, not a recipe. For each herb, read the card for interactions and warnings before preparing anything yourself.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

    Lemon balm tincture

    BeginnerScience profile

    Open recipe →

Traditional / spiritual use

Kept separate from science — entries are cultural or symbolic, not medical advice.

Related guides in the library

  • Evening tea and garden freshness

    General

    Spiritual useSymbolism

    In this editorial suggestion, lemon balm’s lemon scent represents a quiet moment at home or in the garden. This is contemporary symbolism and a personal response to scent, not a documented historical custom or medicinal effect.

    Form:
    tea, fresh aerial parts
    Claim strength:
    Symbolism
    Source note:
    Contemporary editorial symbolism; we have no historical source for this motif.

Scientific notes

Each claim lists a study type and a source (URL or DOI) where available. Dose notes from the literature are informational only.

How to read evidence strength and study type labels

Labels summarise how the catalogue entry is tagged — they are not a medical verdict on efficacy. For every row, read the summary, limitations and source link.

Evidence strength

Evidence level not specified
The author did not grade the record; judge from the summary, limitations and source link.
Narrative / orientational literature
Descriptive or expert literature without controlled group comparison — context rather than proof of effect.
Weak evidence
Study or conclusion with major methodological limits; treat only as a pointer for further reading.
Preliminary findings
First or smaller studies — interesting direction, not the final word on efficacy or safety.
Moderate strength of evidence
Moderate strength by study design; sample and context limits still apply.
Stronger evidence
Stronger design or consistency of results within the study's stated limits.
Review article
A review summarises multiple sources; quality depends on review method and field.

Study type

Narrative / expert text
Expert text or overview without a classical study design.
In vitro study
Cell culture or test-tube experiment — does not show an effect in the body.
Animal study
Animal model — transfer to humans is not automatic.
Observational study
Observing groups without random treatment assignment; confounding is possible.
Clinical trial
Human clinical trial; sample size and control group matter.
Randomised controlled trial
Randomised controlled trials are among the stronger designs when well conducted.
Review study
A review aggregates multiple papers — quality depends on selection rules.
Systematic review
Systematic review with explicit search and selection methodology.
Meta-analysis
Statistical pooling of studies; outcome depends on input data and heterogeneity.
Regulatory assessment / monograph (EMA, WHO…)
Regulatory body summary for a herbal product — different context from a single RCT; often about products, not home tea.
Expert monograph (herbal preparations)
Structured literature summary for a plant or drug — quality depends on author and edition year.

  • The 2013 EMA assessment concerns medicinal lemon balm leaf preparations. It supports a traditional-use framework for mild mental stress, sleep support and mild digestive complaints; the clinical studies available then were insufficient for well-established medicinal use.

    Review articleRegulatory assessment / monograph (EMA, WHO…)Year: 2013

    Preparation form in the study: Leaf: medicinal tea and specified extracts

    Active compound / focus: rosmarinic acid, flavonoids, essential oil (citronellal, geraniol, etc.)

    Limitations: The assessment covers medicinal leaf tea and specified leaf extracts. It does not establish efficacy of every homemade tea, honey, syrup or glycerite, or treatment of an anxiety disorder or Alzheimer’s disease.

    EMA Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC) — European Medicines Agency

    EMA: Assessment report on Melissa officinalis L., folium

Images

The main photo is in the card header. More images will appear here when available.

Safety

What the warning types mean

The type on each warning helps group themes — it does not replace the separate severity badge.

Internal use
Risks from swallowing, extracts, duration of use or concentration for internal use.
Interactions / medicines
Possible effect on medicines or concurrent treatment — check sources and a professional.
Raw plant parts
Raw, unripe or poorly prepared plant parts can be dangerous.
Toxins and regulation
Toxic constituents or regulated compounds (e.g. in distillates).
Contact with the plant
Skin or mucosa irritation from contact with fresh plant or sap.
Allergy
Allergic reactions, often linked to family sensitisation.
Harvesting and contamination
Contamination, species mix-ups or harvesting from unsuitable places.
  • Medicinal leaf preparations: limits of useModerate severityInternal use

    Do not use if allergic to lemon balm. EMA does not recommend medicinal use under 12 years of age, during pregnancy or while breastfeeding because data are insufficient. Preparations may impair driving and machinery use; avoid these activities if affected. Seek medical advice if symptoms worsen or persist beyond 2 weeks. These rules concern medicinal leaf preparations and do not establish the safety of every homemade recipe.

    Source