Herb ? Lemon Balm

I had a large plant and dug it out and last year loads of suckers came up :rolleyes: Lots of uses - Wildflower will tell you when she sees this!

 

To keep it under control treat it like mint. I plant all mine in big plastic pots that have had the bottoms cut out and then buried in the ground. I think I have about 7 or 8 different types and they would all be mixed up without the pots.

 

I have some lemon balm tea bags and it is revolting! I have peppermint tea first thing in the morning and have a Lemon Verbena shrub which makes wonderful tea.

 

I have loads of it and it does like spreading itself around.. :D But its also a usefull plant..
The fragrance of the plant is true to its name: citrusy and fresh. Even if I merely brush by the leaves the scent is released. This characteristic is what has made Lemon Balm such a favorite for so many years. Londoners of Elizabethan times would carry small bouquets, called Tussie Mussies, filled with aromatic herbs and flowers, including Lemon Balm, which they would frequently sniff to disguise the horrible stench of the unsanitary conditions of the day.

As far back as the ancient Greeks this plant was recognized for both its soothing smell and its medicinal properties. Greek physician Dioscorides would apply Lemon Balm to scorpion or animal bites for its antibacterial properties, and then give the patient wine infused with Lemon Balm to calm their nerves. This calming affect has often been noted throughout the years. The esteemed British herbalist Culpeper had these words to say in the mid-17th Century: "...[Lemon Balm] causeth the mind and heart to be Merry...and driveth away all troublesome cares." Little wonder it is still used today in aromatherapy to counter depression.

Like most herbs Lemon Balm is antibacterial and anti viral in nature. It is also a slightly sedative herb, lowering fever, relaxing spasms and improving digestion
Because of its antibacterial properties, Lemon Balm may be useful in cleaning sores, s****es, and cuts. Make an Ointment for these purposes, and give it a try on insect bites and stings.
In Central Europe, lemon balm is sometimes used to flavour sweet drinks. The leaves make an interesting decoration on many dishes and may be used generously if you (and your guests) like the aroma. They fit best to fish, poultry and salads; it is also suggested to use balm leaves for any dish containing lemon juice to get a more intensive lemon aroma. If available, the fresh leaves are to be preferred. True lovers of this herb may want to try a pesto made of lemon balm leaves instead of basil.

[ 02. January 2007, 05:14 AM: Message edited by: wildflower ]

 

courtesy of http://www.gaias-garden.co.uk/

A hardy perennial herb, which when brushed against or crushed releases a delicious lemon fragrance. Similar in appearance to the nettle (without the stinging hairs) or mint (to which it is related), with tiny white flowers. Balm has a long association with bees - the botanical name Melissa being derived from the Greek for honey bee, and according to bee folklore if the beehive is rubbed with Balm the bees will not swarm and the fragrance will attract new bees. Apparently Balm was also a sacred herb used in the temple of Diana.

John Evelyn (1620 - 1706) stated the "Balm is sovereign for the brain, strengthening the memory and powerfully chasing away melancholy," the German herbalist Paracelsus ascribed Balm as an "elixir of youth," and the Greeks considered it a cure all.

Balm, or Lemon Balm as it is perhaps more commonly called nowadays, has a long tradition as a tonic remedy and one which raises the spirits and comforts the heart. It is a nerve tonic and relaxant with antispasmodic and carminative actions, and makes an excellent remedy for mild depression, panic attacks, palpitations, irritability, restlessness and anxiety - especially if the anxiety is causing indigestion. Balm is also useful as a remedy for nausea, bloating, acidiy, stomach spasms, colicky pains, flu with muscle aches and pains, and can help reduce fever temperatures. It is also a gentle herb which is good for soothing nervous tummy upsets in children.
An infusion of 1 teaspoon of dried Balm per cup of freshly boiled water will help soothe an anxious stomach and a nervous headache, and sipped slowly should help calm palpitations and panic attacks.

Lemon Balm is also an antiviral herb and research has shown it to be extremely effective against several bacteria and also the herpes simplex virus (the one responsible for cold sores) and other viral infections, including mumps, shingles and chicken pox. Not only will it help relieve cold sores but it may also reduce the chances of further outbreaks, when drunk regularly. An infusion of the leaves would make a soothing wash for irritated skin - the juice of Balm can also be applied to cuts and grazes as it contains eugenol, making it anti-bacterial as well as capable of numbing the surrounding tissues.

As an antioxidant herb it makes a good choice for a regular herbal tea - the antioxidants mop up free radicals - I like to blend it with Nettle, but it blends well with most herbs. If you want to make a blend for insomnia try Lemon Balm mixed with Catnip, Chamomile or Valerian Root. A soothing blend, particularly for stomach upsets and nerves / anxiety is Lemon Balm and Chamomile. The antioxidants would also make Lemon Balm a useful blend for preventing catarracts - try blending it with Catnip and Mint.

Many herbalists suggest that Lemon Balm is beneficial for Alzheimer's disease, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism (suggesting that Lemon Balm has a regulating effect on the thyroid).

Lemon Balm has had many uses over the centuries (in addition to being a medicinal herb) - it was the principal ingredient of Carmelite water used during Mediaeval times by men and women after bathing, and the fresh leaves can be eaten raw in saldas or dried and used in herbal bath blends, toilet waters, pot pourri, as a strewing herb, or in hot or cold drink. It can also be used to flavour soups, stews, sauces and dressings.

 

How would it be used for ADHD WF?? Would it be made into a drink???

 

yes you could take it as tea but you can also buy it in capsules /tablet form as well..and its quite easy to make your own tablets from herbs as they sell the outer shells and you just fill them allthough it would be hard to measure the qty going in each capsule..and very fiddly.. :D

 

Great stuff - thanks

 

Just as an afterthought..its better to grow your own lemon balm and dry some for winter use..as those herbal tea bags are not all they are made out to be..Some of them are herbs that have been grown in polytunnels on the continent using unnatural light and they never see the sun or have the earth in their roots..so the vitamin content or medicinal properties is not as it should be..!!!I buy organic dried herbs from neals yard remedies if i havnt got any of my own,.and use them as tea..

 

Try clipper organic tea bags as they have the organic certificate..as follows...

Clipper Organic products carry Soil Association Certification ââ?¬â?? an independent guarantee that the tea is organic.

So what does organic mean for tea, coffee and hot chocolate?

Avoids harmful pesticides

Over 400 chemical pesticides are routinely used in conventional farming and residues are often present in non-organic food. Under organic standards, crops are not sprayed with harmful chemicals. This is particularly important in developing countries, where instructions for the use of chemicals are sometimes not available and it is simply too hot to wear the prescribed protective clothing.

Instead, organic tea, coffee and cocoa growers use other methods of pest control, like burning Ayurvedic herbs to smoke out pests, or planting other crops that attract pests more strongly.

No GM
Genetically modified (GM) crops and ingredients are not allowed under organic standards.

Good for wildlife and the environment

The UK government has said that organic farming is better for wildlife.

Many of the tea gardens that supply Clipper bear this out. They are completely integrated into their wild, remote environments, which are home to wildlife as diverse as tigers, bison and rhinos.

The absence of toxic chemicals from the soil also makes it more fertile, producing stronger, healthier plants. Some of the coffee co-operatives that Clipper buys from grow coffee in a permaculture system. This is how plants grow naturally in the jungle, at different heights, with coffee grown alongside food crops like bananas, beans and avocadoes for the farmers. This is not only good news for the farmers, but it improves biodiversity too.

It�s in the flavour

Tea that�s grown organically at a high altitude grows at a natural speed, not fuelled by chemical fertilisers. This natural growth, along with the care and attention that the tea gardens give the tea when it�s processed, makes for a better tasting cup of tea.

We want to do justice to the excellent organic tea we buy, so we only use unbleached tea bag paper with no chlorine.

 

I grew lemon balm in a container before we moved, I think it's a brilliant herb as it never seems to stop coming back each year, unlike mint which I kill off regularly. Just bought a container ready for my new plant which I shall get in the spring.

 

your welcome wiseoldowl ..its a usefull oplant to have ..i dont keep mine in buckets i let it spread.. :D

 

Wildflower, your garden must be full of it! all my mints spread like mad, except for the furry one [applemint?] which was from my mum and dads' garden, and had sentimental value.
Have you tried lemon verbena for teas? I like it better than lemon balm, more delicate flavour- don't know about medicinal values though!