Editing Lemon balm (section)

== Cultivation ==
Lemon balm [[seed]]s require light and a minimum temperature of {{convert|20|C|F}} to [[Germination|germinate]]. The plant grows in clumps and spreads [[Vegetative reproduction|vegetatively]] (a&nbsp;new plant growing from a fragment of its parent), as well as by seed. In mild [[temperate zone]]s, the plant stems die off at the start of the winter, but shoot up again in spring. Lemon balm grows vigorously.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-03-24|title=Herbal Guide to Lemon Balm: Grow, Harvest, and Use a Lemon Balm Plant|url=https://gardentherapy.ca/lemon-balm/|access-date=2021-07-29|website=Garden Therapy|language=en-US}}</ref>

{{As of|1992}}, Hungary, Egypt, and Italy are the major producing countries of lemon balm.{{sfn|Axtell|Fairman|1992|p=211}} The leaves are harvested by hand in June and August in the northern hemisphere, on a day when the weather is dry, to prevent the crop from turning black if damp.{{sfn|Axtell|Fairman|1992|p=212}}

The [[cultivar]]s of ''M. officinalis'' include:
* ''M. officinalis'' 'Citronella'
* ''M. officinalis'' 'Lemonella'
* ''M. officinalis'' 'Quedlinburger'
* ''M. officinalis'' 'Lime'
* ''M. officinalis'' 'Mandarina'
* ''M. officinalis'' 'Variegata'
* ''M. officinalis'' 'Aurea'
* ''M. officinalis'' 'Quedlinburger Niederliegende', a variety reportedly bred for higher essential oil content.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Szabó |first=Krisztina |last2=Malekzadeh |first2=Mahmoud |last3=Radácsi |first3=Péter |last4=Ladányi |first4=Márta |last5=Rajhárt |first5=Péter |last6=Inotai |first6=Katalin |last7=Tavaszi-Sárosi |first7=Szilvia |last8=Németh |first8=Éva |year=2016 |title=Could the variety influence the quantitative and qualitative outcome of lemon balm production? |url=https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2015.12.027 |journal=Industrial Crops and Products |volume=83 |pages=710–716 |doi=10.1016/j.indcrop.2015.12.027 |issn=0926-6690}}</ref>

===Essential oil production===

Ireland is a major producer of lemon balm essential oil, which has a pale yellow colour and a lemon scent.{{sfn|Axtell|Fairman|1992|p=211}} The essential oil is commonly co-distilled with [[lemon oil]], [[citronella oil]] or other essential oils.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Sarkic|first1=Asja|last2=Stappen|first2=Iris|date=March 2018|title=Essential Oils and Their Single Compounds in Cosmetics—A Critical Review|journal=Cosmetics|language=en|volume=5|issue=1|pages=11|doi=10.3390/cosmetics5010011|issn=2079-9284|doi-access=free}}</ref> [[Crop yield|Yields]] are low; 0.014% for fresh leaves and 0.112% for dried leaves.{{sfn|Axtell|Fairman|1992|p=211}}

[[File:Melissa-officinalis-(Lemon-Balm)-flower-Vis-UV-IR-comparison.jpg|thumb|The plant seen in visible light, [[ultraviolet]] light and [[infrared]]]]