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Melissa officinalis L., Balm

Account Summary

Introduced, garden escape, locally extinct. Native of S Europe and SW Asia, but native range obscured by introductions further north.

August 1881; Barrington, R.M.; Trasna Island, Upper Lough Erne.

Growth form, origin and preferred habitats

This shortly rhizomatous perennial herb, 20-150 cm tall, has long straggly branches and stems, 4-angled, glabrous (hairless) below, finely hairy towards the top. Plants produce stolons that can spread rapidly and the leaves smell strongly of lemon when crushed. Leaves are of two kinds, the larger only on the main stem, 6-10 × 4-7 cm, long-stalked, ovate, rounded to slightly cordate at the base, their margins crenate or crenate-serrate. Smaller leaves, cuneate (wedge-shaped) at the base, are produced on all the other stems, especially on the inflorescence. The bisexual flowers are borne from June to August or mid-September in dense, shortly-stalked axillary whorls of four to twelve, accompanied by large, leafy bracts and paired bracteoles. The persistent calyx is campanulate, 2-lipped and 13-veined. The corolla is 8-15 mm, pale yellow, becoming white or pinkish as it ages, the tube curved and dilated above the middle, 2-lipped, the upper lip erect or deflexed, the lower one 3-lobed (Hutchinson 1972).

M. officinalis was introduced to garden cultivation in B & I from S & C Europe for its culinary herb qualities by around 995 AD (Harvey 1961). There are golden-leaved forms which often are the preferred decorative garden varieties (eg cv. 'All Gold' and cv. 'Aurea'). The dried leaves retain their lemon scent and are frequently used for pot-pourri. The young shoots are used fresh for flavouring fruit salads and iced drinks (Sell & Murrell 2009).

A patch-forming archaeophyte, it was first recorded 'beyond the garden wall' in the wild in Britain by 1763. The plant spreads quickly in fertile soil in garden settings and thus can become excessively invasive, leading to it being cut back and excess material discarded. The discards are very probably the principal source of the plant appearing beyond the garden wall, where it has the ability to become naturalised, set seed and become self-sown (Sell & Murrell 2009).

Fermanagh occurrence

Barrington (1884) wrote of this species, "Occurs near the garden on the Island of Trasna with Tanacetum vulgare and Chrysanthemum parthenium. All three probably planted." As far as the current author (RSF) knows, it has not been seen in Fermanagh for over a century and, therefore, it is considered extinct.

Irish occurrence

The New Atlas shows the species in Ireland very thinly scattered SE of a line between Dublin and Limerick, with two outlying hectads further north in Cos Monaghan (H32) and Fermanagh (H33). Having said that, the Cat Alien Pl Ir states that the plant has been recorded at least once from 20 of the 40 Irish VCs.

British occurrence

M. officinalis is much more frequently found in the wild in S England than elsewhere in Britain and it is recognised as a long-lived established garden escape or relic of cultivation in old or abandoned gardens. However, it does have scattered outlying stations further north in England, and in Scotland it stretches as far north as Dunbartonshire (VC 99) (New Atlas). An apparent increase in abundance or more widespread occurrence of this species in recent BSBI national or local county surveys is perhaps more likely due to more active, systematic recording rather than actual M. officinalis spread, since there is only occasional evidence of it spreading by seed, self-sowing, or even of it patch-forming in the wild (Crawley 2005).

European and world occurrence

Melissa officinalis is a native of C & S Europe, W Asia and N Africa and is widely introduced elsewhere (Hutchinson 1972; Clapham et al. 1987; Sell & Murrell 2009).

Uses

Even if it is of no outstanding physical beauty, M. officinalis is worth growing in the decorative garden for the delightful lemon fragrance of its leaves (Grigson 1955, 1987). Balm, or 'Lemon Balm' was used as a cordial herb, said to, "remove melancholy and cheers the heart" (Grigson 1955, 1987). A tea was brewed that was regarded as a tonic, a uterine and a sedative, although as Grigson says, "it is by no means as nice as the scent of the leaves would lead you to expect". Early botanists equated Balm with the 'melissophyllum', or 'bee leaf' of Dioscorides ("so called, because bees delight in this herb") and the 'apiastrum' of Pliny was planted or rubbed on hives since it was believed to ensure honeybees kept to their hives (Gerard 1597).

A brew of Balm was thought to keep insects away. It was also used to bathe bitches in season, to help keep male dogs away. An infusion was used to reduce itching in the later stages of Chickenpox. As a 'green leaf tea' it was used to induce drowsiness in the middle of a sleepless night. The tea was also taken for stomach problems and colic (Vickery 2019). The herb was greatly esteemed by Paracelsus, who believed it could completely revive a man and was of great use to treat any disordered state of the nervous system. "An essence of Balm taken every morning was reputed to renew youth, strengthen the brain, relieve languishing nature and prevent baldness." (Grieve 1931). Balm also makes a useful flavoursome addition to omelettes. It is now perfectly clear to the current author (RSF), why the plant was so widely cultivated.

Names

The genus name 'Melissa' refers to the Greek, 'melissa', meaning 'a honeybee', but is also believed (by some) to be the name of a Cretan nymph or Princess who first discovered how to keep bees for their honey (Gilbert-Carter 1964; Stearn 1992). The Latin specific epithet 'officinalis' refers to the 'apothecary's office' or shop where herbal medicines were collected, manufactured, stored and dispensed.

English common names include 'Lemon Balm', 'Sweet Balm', 'Honey Balm' and 'Bee Balm', all easily appreciated. The name 'Balm' is an abbreviation and comes through the French from the Latin 'balsamam', 'balsam', the chief of sweet-smelling oils (Grieve 1931; Grigson 1955, 1987). Variations such as 'bame', 'baume' and 'bawne' are recorded in several English locations (Vickery 2019).

Threats

None.