How to Grow Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm

Overview

Lemon balm is the suburban gardener’s best friend – a forgiving perennial that practically grows itself while filling your tea cabinet for pennies on the dollar. This Mediterranean native has a long history as an after-dinner tea herb. In Europe, it’s listed as a traditional herbal medicine for mild symptoms of stress and to aid sleep. And it grows happily in a backyard.

If you’re tired of spending $7 on a box of herbal tea at the store, lemon balm is your answer. One small patch can supply enough leaves for daily teas, tinctures, and salves year-round. It’s hardy enough to survive zone 4 winters, spreads just enough to feel generous (but not invasive like its mint cousins), and the bees absolutely love it.

Where & How to Plant

Lemon balm isn’t picky. Give it morning sun with afternoon shade – especially in hot climates where harsh sun can dull the flavor. Pick a spot with decent drainage (soggy roots spell trouble). Rich soil isn’t needed: NC State Extension says lemon balm prefers well-drained soil and is “poor-soil- and drought-tolerant once established.”

In containers: Use a pot at least 8–10 inches wide with drainage holes. One plant per pot – they bush out quickly. Regular potting mix works fine.

In raised beds: Space plants 18 inches apart. They’ll fill in fast, so don’t crowd them. Raised beds warm up quicker in spring, giving lemon balm a nice head start.

In open ground: Same 18–24 inch spacing. Loosen the soil, plant, water. Simple as that.

Container growing is smart if you want to control spread. Lemon balm self-seeds and spreads aggressively by rhizomes, so NC State Extension suggests growing it in a container on a patio or deck, where it’s unlikely to escape into the landscape.

Germination & Propagation

Seeds are tiny and need light to germinate – press them onto the soil surface without burying. Start indoors 6–8 weeks before last frost at about 65°F, or direct sow in late spring after frost danger passes.

Easier still: ask a gardening friend for a division. Lemon balm divides beautifully in spring or fall. You can also root cuttings in water – they’ll sprout roots in about a week.

Sunlight & Watering

Light: Full sun to partial shade. In cooler zones, more sun is fine. In hot climates, afternoon shade prevents wilting and keeps leaves tender. Even 2–3 hours of direct sun works.

Water: Aim for about 1 inch weekly, including rain. Established plants tolerate brief dry spells, but regular water keeps leaves lush. Container plants dry out faster – check daily in summer heat.

Signs of trouble: Yellowing leaves mean too much water. Wilting in the morning (not just afternoon heat) means too little.

Harvest

Start harvesting once plants reach 6–8 inches tall. The best flavor comes in the morning after dew dries but before the day heats up – that’s when volatile oils are strongest.

What to harvest: Leaves and tender stems When: Anytime during growing season, but flavor peaks just before flowering How: Cut stems just above a leaf pair with sharp scissors. Never take more than one-third of the plant at once.

Regular harvesting helps – it delays flowering and keeps plants bushy. When you see flower buds forming, pinch them off to keep leaves coming. Or let a few bloom late in the season for the bees.

For drying: Bundle small bunches and hang in a dry, dark spot. Leaves are ready when they crumble easily. Strip from stems and store in airtight jars away from light. (See our guide to drying herbs..)

Traditional Uses

The European herbal monograph recognizes lemon balm as a traditional remedy for mild symptoms of stress, to help with sleep, and for mild digestive complaints like bloating and gas. Clinical evidence is limited.

Parts Used

Leaves: Fresh or dried for teas, tinctures, cooking Flowers: Edible, milder flavor, loved by pollinators Stems: Use tender stems along with leaves; woody stems for bath bundles

Fresh leaves have the strongest lemon scent. Dried leaves lose some brightness but still make lovely tea. The whole aerial parts (everything above ground) can be used, though leaves have the most flavor.

Common Preparations

Tea (Infusion) (See our guide to hot infusions.)

• 2–3 teaspoons dried leaves (or 5–6 fresh) per cup
• Steep covered 10–15 minutes
• Enjoy a cup or two as you would any herbal tea
• Ask your pediatrician before giving it to kids under 12. Safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding hasn’t been established, so ask your doctor before using teas or tinctures then. With a thyroid condition, check with your doctor before regular use. If you take sedatives, sleep aids or other medicine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist first. Allergy is rare, but possible if you’re allergic to mint-family plants (safety notes).

Tincture (See our guide to tinctures.)

• Fresh plant tincture (1:2 ratio) or dried (1:5)
• Tinctures are concentrated, so ask your doctor or pharmacist how much is right for you
• Preserves well for a year or more
• Tinctures are made with alcohol and water, so skip them if you avoid alcohol. Alcohol can be a dangerous poison for children, so store tinctures out of sight and reach (safety notes).
• Same cautions as tea (safety notes)

Salve (See our guide to salves and balms.)

• Infuse dried leaves in olive oil 2–4 weeks (See our guide to infused oils.)
• Mix with melted beeswax (1 oz wax per cup oil)
• Beeswax is flammable. If it boils over or flows onto the burner, it can start a violent fire, so melt it on low heat and keep an eye on it (safety notes).
• A lemon-scented balm for dry skin
• Allergy is rare, but possible if you’re allergic to mint-family plants (safety notes)

Want something sweet? Make a lemon balm syrup with our any-herb syrup method (below).

Syrup (See how to make any herbal syrup.)

• Steep the leaves as a strong hot infusion, then strain
• Sweeten to taste and keep it in the fridge; the syrup guide explains why it only keeps a couple of weeks
• Use it in drinks and desserts
• If you sweeten it with honey, don’t give it to a child younger than 1. Otherwise, same cautions as tea (safety notes).

Companion & Garden Notes

Lemon balm plays well with others. Plant near:

• Tomatoes (may improve flavor)
• Brassicas (attracts beneficials)
• Other partial-shade herbs like parsley and chives

For a patio tea corner, pair a pot of lemon balm with sun-lovers like holy basil and anise hyssop: give them the sunniest spots and lemon balm the afternoon shade.

Watch for self-seeding – those little white flowers turn into lots of baby plants. Deadhead regularly if you don’t want volunteers everywhere. Or let it naturalize in a wild corner where it can feed the bees.

Pests rarely bother lemon balm. Occasional aphids can be blasted off with water. In very humid conditions, watch for powdery mildew – improve air circulation if needed.

Safety Notes

Children: The European herbal monograph covers lemon balm only for adults and children over 12. Ask your pediatrician before giving it to younger kids.

Thyroid conditions: If you have a thyroid condition or take thyroid medicine, check with your doctor before using lemon balm regularly.

Sedative medications: If you take sedatives, sleep aids or anti-anxiety medicine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using lemon balm.

Pregnancy/nursing: Safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding hasn’t been established, and the European herbal monograph doesn’t recommend medicinal use then. Stick to cooking amounts and ask your doctor before using teas or tinctures.

Allergies: Rare, but possible for those allergic to mint family plants.

Honey in syrups: If you sweeten lemon balm syrup with honey, don’t give it to a child younger than 1. The CDC warns that honey can contain the bacteria that cause botulism.

Alcohol in tinctures: “A tincture is made when a botanical is soaked in a solution of alcohol and water,” says the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. If you avoid alcohol, skip tinctures (our advice). Poison Control warns that “Alcohol can be a dangerous poison for children” and advises storing alcohol-containing products out of sight and reach.

Melting beeswax: “CAUTION beeswax is flammable,” warns University of Delaware Extension. If it boils over or flows onto the burner, there is danger of a violent fire, so use low heat and careful attention when you melt it.

If you take any prescription medicine or have a health condition, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using lemon balm medicinally.

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