Harvesting lemon balm (one of my favorite herbs for anxiety)

In about 80 years my kin will look back on my own “lemon balm days” and shake their heads. By then the lemon balm will have encroached on the far corners of our property, growing completely out of control. I hope that when they do, they are still using it for tea. Lemon balm makes a great wellness tea and seems to cut right to the core of an anxiety attack. (Read more about lemon balm for anxiety here.) If a plant is going to take over your property, it really might as well be this one.

When harvesting it to use in teas and to dry, you definitely want to catch the plant before it flowers. The plant will get spindly-looking and more bitter in flavor when it puts on those flower heads. See some examples in the video below and catch my key flavor tip at the end (or just jump to the tip right here if that suits you).

When should you harvest lemon balm, Melissa officinalis?

• From the video, notice that you should harvest when the leaves are large and lush.
• When the plant has gone to seed, it will be lower in oil and will be bitter.
• If your plant has gone to seed and you still have a month or two left in your growing season, simply cut off the seed heads and allow it to produce fresh leaves before you harvest it.