Lemon balm is a lovely healing herb, often used to treat digestive disorders, calm anxiety, and soothe menstrual cramps. 

But it also plays a key role in attracting bees…

Lemon balm’s genus name, Melissa, is Greek for honeybee.  It is an appropriate genus name, as bees are known to love this plant. Melissa was the Greek goddess of bees, who showed man how to use honey as food and medicine. 

Beekeepers smear the inside of beehives with its scent, as the plant contains chemical compounds that match the scent profile of the Nasonov pheromone, a scent worker bees release to guide other bees home. By so doing, beekeepers keep bees from abandoning a location and encourage swarms to move in. Honey is a critical food, medicine, and once a dietary beverage called mead. Mead, also called honey wine, was considered a drink of the gods, reserved for only a chosen few. It is an ancient fermented drink made from honey, water, and yeast. It also provided important nutrients and hydration to folks in areas where drinking water could be unavailable.

Lemon balm has many surprising attributes. Find out more about Lemon Balm.