Lemon Balm

Melissa officinalis

A bright, citrus-scented mint-family leaf — Melissa, the bee herb. Calming, brightening, and gentle.

At a glance

Fresh lemon zest over a soft mint base. Tea is pale gold and tastes of cool citrus and meadow grass.

  • Calming day tea
  • Iced summer cooler
  • Cold-sore cream
  • Children's soothing infusion

Modern research

Tradition

Greek beekeepers planted Melissa around the hives. Avicenna wrote that it 'maketh the heart merry'. The Carmelite nuns formulated Eau de Mélisse in 1611, still made today.

Modern evidence

Standardized extract reduces subjective stress and improves cognitive performance under load. A 1% Melissa cream meaningfully reduces healing time in herpes labialis.