Lemon balm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lemon Balm |
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| Lemon Balm | |
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Melissa
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M. officinalis
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| Melissa officinalis |
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Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a special plant that comes back every year. It's a type of herb in the mint family, called Lamiaceae. This plant originally grew in southern Europe and around the Mediterranean Sea.
Lemon balm can grow quite tall, usually between 70 and 150 centimeters (about 2 to 5 feet). Its leaves have a soft, fresh lemon smell, much like other plants in the mint family. When summer ends, you'll see small white flowers on the plant. These flowers are full of sweet nectar and are very popular with bees! The plant's lemony taste comes from natural oils found in its leaves.
Images for kids
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An illustration of Melissa officinalis from Flora von Deutschland Österreich und der Schweiz (1885)
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a bumblebee feeding on a lemon balm flower
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The plant seen in visible light, ultraviolet light and infrared
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See also
In Spanish: Melisa para niños
