Does Lemon Balm Bloom?

Location

• A native of southern Europe and northern Africa, lemon balm commonly occurs on roadsides and in disturbed areas. The plant may be grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 to 9, where it prefers full sunlight or partial shade. Afternoon shade is preferable in the warmer end of the herb's hardiness range. Yellow-leaved cultivars look their best in light shade, according to Floridata. Too much shade may result in leggy plants with few flowers.

Culture

• Lemon balm is an adaptable plant and grows in poor, dusty soils, though it prefers a well-draining, rich soil that is kept moist throughout the growing season. Cutting the plant back hard after flowering leads to fresh new foliage growth and keeps the plant from self-sowing. Lemon balm is not an especially ornamental plant, and its landscape use is generally limited to herb gardens or dry borders.

Features

• If planted in well-draining soil with ample sunlight, lemon balm is quite low maintenance and rarely bothered by pests or diseases. Deer and rabbits generally find its aroma too strong to bother the plant. The young, tender leaves may be cooked and used as a substitute for lemon in a pinch. They may also be eaten fresh as an unusual garnish in a fruit salad. Mature leaves tend to be a bit tough to enjoyably eat.

Propagation

• Lemon balm may be propagated by seeds, sown directly outdoors in late spring, by cuttings taken in summer, or by division in spring or autumn. Division is perhaps the easiest way to propagate the plant, because seed germination can be slow, according to the Plants for a Future website. Happy plants frequently self-sow after their small blooms fade and set seed, sometimes to the point of becoming invasive in the garden. Removing flowers as they appear keeps the plant from going to seed.