Melissa officinalis Aurea

Melissa officinalis 'Aurea' is a semi-evergreen herbaceous perennial. It is a culinary and aromatic plant with variegated green and gold foliage.

Also known as yellow-leaved lemon balm, golden common balm, bee balm, lemon balm or French tea, Melissa officinalis 'Aurea' belongs to the Lamiaceae family. It is native to Asia Minor but quickly naturalised throughout the northern hemisphere. This plant has a highly branched and bushy habit, making it ideal as ground cover: its stems will reach 80cm (32in) in height and 40cm (16in) in width. The leaves are ovate, petiolate, and crenate. They turn a bright golden colour in spring, gradually transitioning to a medium green along the leaf's veins, and finally becoming variegated with green and gold. Semi-evergreen, the foliage may almost completely disappear during winter, but it will regrow as soon as the first warm spells arrive. 

The flowers do not have any particular ornamental interest. Small and tubular, they appear in the axils of the leaves from June to August. Starting off very pale-yellow, they become rosy as the season progresses. It is worth noting that they are extremely honey-rich, as "Melissa" actually means "bee" in ancient Greek.

It prefers moist but not overly wet, deep, and light soils. The plant prefers slightly acidic soils and well-exposed locations. It is hardy down to -15°C (5°F). Mulch the area around the plant in regions with very cold winters to protect the roots.

Unlike mint, with which it is often confused, lemon balm does not reproduce spontaneously through stolons but through sowing. Therefore, even if no pruning is really necessary, it prevents seed proliferation and promotes the growth of new branches. It brings a bright touch to the garden. It has its place in a vegetable garden or herb garden thanks to its intense lemony fragrance. Use it as ground cover along borders or pathways. Play with colours by pairing it with the scarlet Nandina 'Fire Power', which has a similar stature. Together, their colours will evolve with the seasons. Combine it with the purple-lilac Monarda 'Prärienacht', which has a bergamot fragrance, and you will create an olfactory composition on the citrus theme.

Lemon balm has been used since ancient times as an ornamental, culinary, and medicinal plant. Melissa officinalis 'Aurea' has retained all the taste and therapeutic qualities of the typical variety. Think of it whenever you want to add a lemony note to your fish dishes, for example, by picking a few leaves from the plant. In herbal tea, it is reputed to calm digestive disorders and restlessness.