The use of lemon balm is diverse. Information about the usage and cultivation. The lemon balm (Latin: Melissa officinalis) is a medicinal plant of the Lamiaceae family (lat.: Lamiaceae). She comes from the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia, was cultivated in temperate and warm areas but all over the world and is often savaged. Lemon balm is a durable, long-lasting plant that reaches height between 20 and 90 cm, rarely up to 120 cm. More or less intense smells lemon, this fragrance can be vertstarkt due to the wear of the blades.

A plant can be up to 30 years old. Lemon balm is a Rhizome, which very short runners go out, running underground. The stems of the balm stand upright and are branched. The petioles are about 1.5 to 3.5 cm long and very rarely up to 9 cm long, the leaves are between 2 to 6 cm. Their shape is oblong ovate and runs around or with a short tip. The leaf margin is regularly and rough jagged. The flowers of the lemon balm lemon balm can bloom in three to four times a year. The flowers are pale yellow at the beginning of the flowering period, later they are white to reddish.

The flowers are in half whorls, each between 3 and 7, in the edge of the upper leaves. The leaves are between 2-6 mm long, the flower bracts are ovate and between 2 to 5 mm long. The calyx is 7-9 mm long and is covered with soft hairs and short glandular hairs. A flower leads nectar and is by APIs mellifera and Bombus spp. (bee spp.) dusted. The use of lemon balm is the lemon balm has always been as a spice, medicinal and used as bee pasture plant. The leaves are used as a spice in the kitchen for drinks, salads or compotes or tea infusions. A tea infusion of lemon balm can be reassuring and is recommended for sleep and relaxation disorders and gastro intestinal disorders. Also wine and liqueurs can of lemon balm extracts obtained be. A known preparation, which contains also balm is the Klosterfrau Melissengeist. As a remedy, especially the leaves are processed. Liquid or dry extracts and tea infusions, often in combination with other soothing, healing dried plants, including supportive affect the function of the stomach and can be useful also in case of nervous overload. Because lemon balm leaves have a high content of phenolic carboxylic acid derivatives they have antiviral and antimicrobial, used for example in a treatment of cold sores with a balm ointment to spread the cold sore to restrict and inhibit inflammation. Colds and circulatory weaknesses can be improved in addition to a general treatment with balm oil. However it is rarely available in the trade, because it is a very expensive drug is often Alternatively lemon grass oil or citronella used.