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L
HerbsHardyPerennial (long-lived)
Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is a lemon-scented mint relative grown for fresh leaves used in teas, desserts, salads and light herbal mixtures. It is easy to grow and strongly aromatic, making it a useful choice for gardeners who want plenty of foliage from a forgiving perennial.
Basic information
Category
Herbs
Lifecycle
Perennial (long-lived)
Hardiness
Hardy
Planting partners
0 companions · 0 crops to avoid
Growth profile
Days to harvest
70 days
Germination window
7–14 days
Germination temperature
18–21 °C
Plant spacing
45 cm
Row spacing
60 cm
Sowing depth
0.5 cm
Height
90 cm
Spread
45 cm
Calendar
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Flowering / Harvest
Timings based on average frost dates in the UK. Sign up to set your frost dates.
Care tips
Cut lemon balm back regularly to promote soft fresh leafy regrowth and prevent plants from becoming lanky. Divide old clumps when they get woody or oversized, and remove flower stems if you want to limit self-seeding around the garden.
Common pests
Slugs, aphids, leafhoppers, powdery mildew.
Companions
No companion crops have been added yet.
Don’t grow with
No crops to avoid have been added yet.