Best of all, even a small scrap of stalk will readily root in a glass of water, making it a plant for garden visitors to take home and grow on a windowsill or in their own garden.
Lemon balm exudes a strong lemon scent when the leaves and stems are crushed, and this is a readily detectable feature for initiating discussion of phytochemistry: investigating compounds made by plants, what their function is in plants, and how they can be useful to people. These are easy features to look for without any equipment, making it a simple plant for botanical beginners to get to grips with. It has square stems and leaves in pairs, which are characteristic of the Lamiaceae (mint) plant family. Blooming plants attract scores of bees, which feed on the tiny white flowers, and the genus name Melissa is derived from the Greek word for bee. Lemon balm has a scientific name - Melissa officinalis - that came to life with bees. It is a common but underappreciated garden plant, possibly because it is easy to grow - it is tolerant of a range of conditions, including drought, and isn't affected by many pests and diseases. One plant of lemon balm in a garden quickly turns into many, as it self-seeds readily in flowerbeds or even gaps between paving. One of the plants in the catalogue - lemon balm - stands outs as an ideal plant for people to engage with and learn about. One of our tasks is to revamp the garden's plant catalogue to make it interactive, as well as more useful for a range of disciplines. I'm helping to revive and replant the ethnobotanical garden at the University of Kent.
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