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Melittis melissophyllum

Common name:	Bastard Balm	Family:	Labiatae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	17, 200
Synonyms:	Melittis sylvestris, Melittis grandiflora
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Central and southern Europe, including Britain.
Habitat:	Hedges, scrub and mountain woods[187].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Balm Leaved Melittis [H], Bastard Balm [E], Toronjil Silvestre [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	melissophyllum = bee balm
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Lamiales. Renamed to Lamiaceae -- Mint family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Europe Spain

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.3m by 0.3m . It is hardy to zone 6. It is in flower from May to July. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees and moths. We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

Tea.

A coumarin scented (like new-mown hay) herb, it is occasionally used for making a 'Maiwein' or 'Maibowle' type of beverage[183].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Astringent Blood purifier Diuretic Emmenagogue Sedative Vulnerary.

Astringent, blood purifier, diuretic, emmenagogue, sedative, vulnerary[61].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Succeeds in any good soil in partial shade[1, 187]. Prefers a rich loam[1]. Grows well in thickets, woodland edges and the garden border[1].
Plants are hardy to about -20° c[187].
The flowers have a pleasing sweet honey-like scent[245].
The leaves become sweetly fragrant as they dry[245], they retain their fragrance for a long time[200].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame in the autumn[188]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
Division in spring[200] or autumn[188]. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Scent

Leaves: Dried: The leaves become sweetly fragrant as they dry[245].
Flowers: Fresh: The flowers have a pleasing sweet honey-like scent[245].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
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