:Introduction
Melissa officinalis, known as lemon balm, balm, common balm, or balm mint, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to south central Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean region, and Central Asia.
: Details
M. officinalis is native to Europe, central Asia and Iran, but is now naturalized around the world.It grows to 70–150 cm (28–59 in) tall. The leaves have a gentle lemon scent, related to mint. During summer, small white flowers full of nectar appear. It is not to be confused with bee balm (which is genus Monarda). The white flowers attract bees, hence the genus name Melissa.