Shortly after I graduated college, I got a summer job at a 1800s historical park. One of the houses boasted a lovely little herb garden, and my favorite plant in the garden was lemon balm. It smelled like a combination of lemon and mint; I was always cutting bunches and hanging them to dry in the restored cottages.
Lemon balm has been around for at least two thousand years. Greek and Roman scholars took note of the plant and used it for a variety of remedies, including dog and scorpion bites. Arabs used the plant to treat heart disorders and depression. Shakespeare mentioned lemon balm as a furniture polish! You can rub the leaves onto wood — the oils will make the wood shine and leave the house smelling like lemon and mint.
American colonists used the plant both as medicine and flavoring. President Thomas Jefferson grew lemon balm at Monticello. Lemon balm tea was used to treat fevers and regulate menstruation. It has also been used to treat mild depression and insomnia. Eventually, herbalists chose other members of the mint family for remedies — lemon balm contains a low amount of volatile oils compared to other mints.
Did you know? Bees love lemon balm. Ancient beekeepers used to scent hives with lemon balm in order to encourage a new swarm to stick around.
Modern science suggests that the cheerful lemon scent may indeed be helpful for lifting spirits — citrus scents are often uplifting. But lemon balm does also have a sedative effect (at least on lab mice).
If you have lemon balm in your herb garden, try adding fresh leaves to a bath or steaming facial. The plant is a gentle, fresh-smelling skin cleanser. And while it attracts bees, it may help repel other annoying insects. Try rubbing your picnic table with lemon balm leaves before your next meal — or add leaves to your campfire to help discourage biting bugs.