The Lemon Balm Tree And Its Health Benefits

Lemon Balm Tree

Plants and trees generally produced wonderful fruits and vegetables during their lifetime. But some vegetables have entered Guinness Book of World Records.

The World’s Biggest Sweet Potato weighed 11.2 Kg, The World’s Largest Green Cabbage weighed 34.4 kg and World’s heaviest carrot weighed 8.5 kg. These are some interesting factors about plants.

This topic will deal with a plant named Lemon Balm which has thick foliage. The botanical name of this plant is Melissa officinalis.

The other common names of this perennial herbaceous plant which comes under the family Lamiaceae are lemon balm, balm, common balm, or balm mint.

[tribulant_slideshow gallery_id="354"]

• The plant is native to south-central Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean region, and Central Asia.
• The lemon balm plant attains a height of 150 cm tall.
• The leaves have the aromatic fragrance of lemon.
• This wonderful plant is rightly called as Mellisa since it attracts honey bee.
• In Greek the world Mellisa is nothing but honey bee./span>
• The aromatic flavor comes from citronellal, geranial, linalyl acetate and caryophyllene.
• Lemon balm grows wonderfully in full sunlight and requires a temperature of 20 degree Celsius.
• The stems of the plant die during winter and grow again during spring season.
• This wonderful plant should be grown separately and should not be grown with other plants since it grows vigorously.

Some of the important cultivars are M. officinalis ‘Citronella’, M. officinalis ‘Lemonella’, M. officinalis ‘Quedlinburger’, M. officinalis ‘Lime’, M. officinalis ‘Variegata’, M. officinalis ‘Aurea’. This plant was in the herbal garden of famous person John Gerard during 1596.

• Lemon balm is used as a flavoring in lip smacking ice creams and herbal teas.
• It is used as a combination with spearmint.
• It is also used as a flavor in fruit and fish dishes and candies.
• It is used as a key ingredient in lemon balm pesto.
• Australians use this plant as a medicine and the physicians prescribe it for gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, liver, and bile.
• The herbal doctors administer it to the patient as a tea or oil.
• Lemon balm is used in Carmelite water which is famous in German pharmacies.
• This wonderful balm is used in aromatherapy.
• Lemon Balm oil is distilled along with lemon oil, citronella oil or other oils.

This plant has stress and anxiety reducing agents. It also stimulates the function of brain and mental performances. The people using the oil or tea will improve in mathematical accuracy.

The tea improves plasma levels and the crushed leaves can be used as a mosquito repellent.The plant has antibacterial and antioxidant properties.

It is used as a lip balm and for treating hyperthyroidism. There are number of useful chemicals in this valuable plant.