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Vegetables

Lemon balm

Melissa officinalis

Lemon balm
Photo: Amitchell125 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

A lemon-scented perennial herb for tea; attracts bees.

Light
Partial shade
Height
0.5–0.8 m
Watering
Moderate: 2–3 times a week in summer
Soil
undemanding
Edible?
Flowers for cooking and scent
How to plant
Plant the young plant with its crown at soil level, 40 cm apart.
Care
Cut before flowering for the best scent. It self-seeds; remove the flowers if you don't want it to spread.

Calendar by climate

Warm coast
Mild Mediterranean
Southern interior
Continental interior
Cold interior and uplands
Atlantic
Canary Islands (subtropical)
SowPlantHarvestPruneFeedTreat

Dates are for growing outdoors. You can start seedlings earlier indoors or in a greenhouse, but plant them out only once the frosts are over.

Feeding and doses

Mild Mediterranean

Not needed.

Pest prevention and doses

Mild Mediterranean

Not needed.

How easy to grow by climate

  • Warm coastNeeds regular careToo warm a climate
  • Mild MediterraneanEasy
  • Southern interiorNeeds regular careExtreme summer heat
  • Continental interiorEasy
  • Cold interior and uplandsEasy
  • AtlanticEasy
  • Canary Islands (subtropical)DifficultNo winter chill

Plants in the same category

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