Lemon Balm
4.8 out of 5 (16 experiences)
Fast grower
Browns easily
Also known as
Common Balm and Balm Mint
Taxonomy
Melissa officinalis
Melissa
Lamiaceae
Lamiales
How to care for Lemon Balm
Water
How often to water your Lemon Balm
every 9
Lemon Balm needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.
Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Water 0.5 cups every
9
Light
Check the growing potential in your area
A plant's growing potential is determined from its location, the time of year, and current local weather.
Select a city to check sunlight intensity
Finding light for Lemon Balm in your home
a window
Lemon Balm love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.
Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.
Lemon Balm does not tolerate low-light 🚫.
Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Lemon Balm in your home 🏡.
Nutrients
How to fertilize Lemon Balm
Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.
By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.
To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Lemon Balm after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
FAQs
Lemon Balm is generally considered an easy-to-care-for plant and makes a great choice for beginners!
Water Needs
Lemon Balm prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Sunlight Needs
Lemon Balm requires abundant, bright and direct light. Place it less than one foot from a window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.
Toxicity
Lemon Balm is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.
Soil
Lemon Balm does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!
Fertilizer
Lemon Balm is a fast growing plant and may deplete the nutrients in its soil over time. Replenish them with a gentle organic fertilizer or compost every 1-2 months depending on your location and season. Fertilize more often during the growing season and in warmer and brighter climates.
Growth Pattern
Lemon Balm grows along the ground and sends out shoots which will spread across the soil.
Growing Outdoors
USDA Hardiness Zone
Lemon Balm can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 3a-7b. Find your local hardiness zone here.
Propagation
Lemon Balm can be propagated by division into new individual plants.
- Check to see if there is more than one plant. In some cases they may still be beneath the soil surface. If you feel confident, you may remove the soil to check for baby plantlets below!
- If there are multiple plants growing, unpot the plant and gently tug the plants apart, being careful not to disturb too many of the roots. They may be connected by large root segments which you may need to break to free the plantlet.
- Pot up the new plant in well-draining soil
- Repot the parent plant back into its original pot
Care Summary for Lemon Balm
Lemon Balm
Greg recommends:
Water
0.5 cups every 9 days
Placement
< 1ft from a window
Nutrients
Repot after 2x growth
Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.
What other plant parents say
Fast grower 11
Browns easily 4
Large, lush leaves 3
Easy to propagate 3
Survivor 3
Pet friendly 2
Pest magnet 2
Blooms easily 1
06/15/2021
I loved it though it does dry out super easily. Made nice tea and my bunnies adored pruning it for me
Pet friendly
Browns easily
Fast grower
06/14/2021
The plants is easy to grow! Smell is really good.
Easy to propagate
Fast grower
06/09/2021
Such an easy plant to propagate. Grows fast. Ants love to eat this guy up, so keep up off the ground. Does best in direct sunlight with moist soil. It will start to droop over if it needs water. The leaves taste just like lemon! Thinking of baking with it :)
06/08/2021
Strong and delicious
Fast grower
05/24/2021
My lemonbalm is so cute and I love the smell.
Fast grower
Survivor
