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Melissa officinalis

Melissa officinalis

Lemon-scented leaves; a beloved tea herb.

A hardy perennial with opposite leaves.

Family
Lamiaceae
Plant type
Perennial herb
Safety level (indicative)
Generally recognised as safe
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.
Melissa officinalis — habitus (botanical illustration).

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

Plant habit

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

Perennial herb in Lamiaceae with square stems and opposite, petiolate, ovate leaves with crenate margins and a pronounced lemon scent when crushed. Flowers small, two-lipped, white to pale yellow, borne in leaf axils. Whole plant softly pubescent.

Possible mix-ups and risks

Most commonly confused with white dead-nettle (Lamium album, Lamiaceae), which shares square stems and similarly shaped opposite leaves, but lacks the diagnostic lemon scent — crushed leaves of Lamium emit an unpleasant or faintly rank odour. Unlike Melissa, white dead-nettle bears prominent white lipped flowers in dense whorls at the stem nodes.

Similar herbs

  • Mentha × piperita

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

  • Lavandula angustifolia

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

  • Hypericum perforatum

    Často spolu v diskuzi o „klidu“ a bylinných čajích — třezalka má zvláštní témata interakcí a slunce.

  • Lamium album

    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)

    Wave 1 (seed): broad range in Central Europe — verify with floras and national checklists.

  • Germany

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    Wave 1 (seed): broad range in Central Europe — verify with floras and national checklists.

  • Hungary

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    Wave 1 (seed): broad range in Central Europe — verify with floras and national checklists.

  • Poland

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    Wave 1 (seed): broad range in Central Europe — verify with floras and national checklists.

  • Slovakia

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    Wave 1 (seed): broad range in Central Europe — verify with floras and national checklists.

  • France

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    France: occurrence for the main European catalogue taxa — refine with national atlases / red lists.

  • Japan

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    Japan top 20: temperate and East Asian context — verify Japanese flora and cultivation.

  • Morocco

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    Maghreb top 20 — verify with atlases, national floras, and cultivated occurrence.

  • Canada

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

    Canada / North America top 20 — verify with floras, naturalised populations, and cultivated spread.

  • Australia

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

    Australia top 20: archaeophytes and endemics — verify with national floras and introduced-species references.

  • South Africa

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    South Africa top 20 — verify with atlases, fynbos, and savanna context.

Harvest

  • LeafMay–September

    léto

    Region: Czechia

    Notes: Aerial parts / leaf before full flowering.

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)

    In the narrow sense, “tea” often means an infusion: you pour water just off the boil over the dried plant matter and let it steep for a few minutes. 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

    About 30 minBeginnerScience 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

    About 40 minBeginnerScience 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

    About 45 minBeginnerScience 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

    About 35 minBeginnerScience 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

    Traditional useFolk useHerbal lore

    Lemon balm was associated in households with an evening cup and with the scent of lemon-scented foliage in the garden. Calm and freshness here belong to atmosphere rather than to a specific medicinal claim.

    Form:
    čaj, čerstvá nať
    Claim strength:
    Tradition
    Source note:
    Folk custom and garden tradition — not a clinical indication.

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.

  • For lemon balm, the literature often discusses aromatic terpenes in leaves and traditional use of infusions; evidence quality for specific health claims varies in reviews and needs critical reading.

    Evidence level not specifiedNarrative / expert text

    Limitations: This is a catalog overview — add targeted systematic reviews or studies for this taxon (e.g. PubMed, Cochrane).

    Reference into the scientific literature (orientation)

  • The EMA HMPC summarizes traditional use and safety of lemon balm leaf in herbal preparations; the summary applies to regulated products, not to an ad hoc home tea.

    Review articleRegulatory assessment / monograph (EMA, WHO…)Year: 2015

    Preparation form in the study: infusion (aqueous)

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

    Limitations: This is a European regulatory overview; translating it to a specific cup depends on material, ratio, and steeping time.

    Dose note (from literature): Dosing in the document describes approved preparations; do not read a home infusion as identical.

    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.

No structured safety records yet.