108 Lemon balm Melissa officinalis Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), not to be confused with bee balm (which is genus Monarda), is a perennial herb in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. It grows to 70–150 cm tall. The leaves have a gentle lemon scent, related to mint. During summer, small white flowers full of nectar appear. These attract bees, hence the genus name Melissa (Greek for 'honey bee'). Its flavour comes from citronellal (24%), geranial (16%), linalyl acetate (12%) and caryophyllene (12%). 32565 Melissa officinalis 108.jpg image/jpeg 30057 2012-04-20T09:33:54Z 115 Herbs and Spices Herbs Type 1 2011-02-09T00:37:20Z 2019-05-14T18:04:16Z false specific 39338 true FOOD00108