Melissa officinalis. This special cultivar of conventional lemon balm has been selected for its distinctive and pronounced orange scent. Mandarina Orange Balm grows with a trailing habit, so it makes a beautiful “spiller” in hanging baskets and raised garden beds. It can even be used as a ground cover, and used to cover slopes and other difficult areas. Small white flowers appear in summer that are very attractive to bees. Use the leaves as a relaxing tea. This plant grows 30-35cm (12-14″), and a little shorter in containers. It is perennial to Zone 4 and even deer resistant.
Timing: Start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before last frost, and transplant out or direct sow once day time temperatures are steadily above 10°C (50°F).
Starting: Barely cover the tiny seeds. Use a sterilized potting soil, and keep watering to an absolute minimum – just enough to keep the medium from drying out. Germination takes 10-14 days. Transplant at a spacing of 45cm (18″) into the garden.
Growing: Choose a shady spot or a location where plants can be protected from midday sun. Lemon balm prefers a fertile, moist soil in a cooler part of the garden. Plants grown in partial shade will be larger and more succulent than those exposed to full sun.
Harvest: Pick leaves throughout the summer for fresh use. The aroma is rapidly lost when dried or stored.
Approx. 25 seeds
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