Lamiaceae
Balm
Melissa officinalis
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Genus
- Melissa
Pets and kids
- CatsNot sure
- DogsNot sure
- KidsSafe
Why
Cats: Not sure
We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Dogs: Not sure
We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Kids: Safe
Sources below say it is non-toxic to young children. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.
- Melissa officinalis (Balm, Balm Leaf, Balm Mint, Common Balm, Dropsywort, Honey Balm, Lemon Balm, Sweet Balm, Sweet Mary, Tea Balm) | North Carolina Extension G University or extension
- Food as Medicine: Food Therapy for Gastroesophageal Reflux | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia University or extension
Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free
Is Balm safe for cats, dogs and kids?
Is Balm safe for cats?
We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Is Balm safe for dogs?
We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Is Balm safe for kids?
Our sources call Balm non-toxic to young children. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.
- Melissa officinalis (Balm, Balm Leaf, Balm Mint, Common Balm, Dropsywort, Honey Balm, Lemon Balm, Sweet Balm, Sweet Mary, Tea Balm) | North Carolina Extension G University or extension
- Food as Medicine: Food Therapy for Gastroesophageal Reflux | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia University or extension
Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.
See all cat-safe plants, dog-safe plants and child-safe plants.
Common names
By language (78)
- Afrikaans
- Suurlemoenbalsem
- Arabic
- ترنجان مخزني, الترنجان, الحبق الترنجاني, الحبق القرنفلي, المليسة, بادرنجوية, باذرنجوية, بقلة أُترجية
- Armenian
- Պատրինջ դեղատու
- arz
- ترنجان مخزنى
- Asturian
- Abeyera
- azb
- درمان لیمون اوْتو
- Azerbaijani
- Dərman ballınanəsi
- ba
- Мелисса
- Basque
- Garraiska
- Belarusian
- Меліса лекавая, Мяліса лекавая, Мята лімонная
- Bosnian
- Matičnjak
- Bulgarian
- Обикновена маточина, Маточина
- Cantonese
- 檸檬香蜂草
- Catalan
- Melissa, Arangí, Tarongina, Tarongí
- Chinese
- 香蜂花, 山檨叶泡花树, 欧蜜蜂花, 香蜂草
- chm
- Мӱкшпеледыш
- Croatian
- Matičnjak
- csb
- Mateszkòwé zelé
- Czech
- Meduňka lékařská
- Danish
- Citronmelisse, Citron-Melisse, Hjertensfryd
- Dutch
- Citroenmelisse, Bijenkruid
- English
- Balm, Lemon balm, Common balm, Balm mint, Bee balm
- Esperanto
- Citronmeliso
- Estonian
- Sidrunmeliss, Aedmeliss, Harilik meliss
- Finnish
- Sitruunamelissa
- French
- Mélisse, Melisse officinale, Mélisse officinale
- Galician
- Melisa
- Georgian
- Ბარამბო
- German
- Zitronenmelisse, Zitronen-Melisse, Herztrost, Melisse
- grc
- Μελισσοβότανον
- Greek
- Μελισσόχορτο
- Hebrew
- מליסה רפואית
- hsb
- Citronowa mjedowka
- Hungarian
- Citromfű
- Icelandic
- Sítrónumelissa
- Indonesian
- Daun madu limau
- Irish
- Lus na meala
- Italian
- Erba bergamotta
- Japanese
- レモンバーム, コウスイハッカ, セイヨウヤマハッカ, 西洋山薄荷, 香水薄荷
- kab
- Iffer zizwi
- Kazakh
- Därilik melïssa, Дәрілік мелисса, دارىلىك مەلىيسسا
- Korean
- 레몬밤
- kw
- Eli gwenen
- Latvian
- Ārstniecības melisa, Bišu mētra, Citronmelisa, Citronmētra, Melisa, Ārstnieciskā melisa
- Lithuanian
- Vaistinė melisa
- Luxembourgish
- Meliss, Zitrounekraut, Zitrounemeliss
- Macedonian
- Маточина
- mwl
- Yerba cidreira
- mzn
- وارنگ بو
- Norwegian Bokmål
- Sitronmelisse
- Norwegian Nynorsk
- Sitronmelisse
- nrm
- Piment
- os
- Хосгæнæн рувасы битъына
- pap
- Torohil, Toronhil
- Pashto
- ليمو ويلنی
- pcd
- Chitron·néle, Milisse
- Persian
- بادرنجبویه
- Polish
- Melisa lekarska, Starzyszek
- Portuguese
- Erva-cidreira, Cidreira, Erva cidreira
- Romanian
- Roiniță, Roiniţa, Roiniţă, Roinița
- Russian
- Мелисса лекарственная, Лимонная мята, Мята лимонная
- Serbian
- Матичњак, Matičnjak, Лимун трава, Маточина, Пчелиња трава
- Serbian (Latin)
- Matičnjak, Limun trava, Matočina, Pčelinja trava
- sgs
- Melėsos
- Slovak
- Medovka lekárska
- Slovenian
- Navadna melisa, Aselnica, Maternjak, Matičnik, Medeni list, Medovka, Melisa, Osenika
- Spanish
- Toronjil, Abeyera, Albedarumbre, Bedaranji, Bedaranjí, Hierba luna, Torongil cidrado, Torongil de limon
- Swedish
- Citronmeliss, Bisuga, Hjärtans fröjd, Hjärtansfröjd
- Tajik
- Ниёзбӯй
- Tatar
- Милисә
- Thai
- สะระแหน่, Lemon balm, สาระแหน่
- Turkish
- Oğul otu
- tzm
- Ifar zizwi
- Ukrainian
- Меліса лікарська, Лимонна м'ята, Лимонна трава
- vec
- Mełisa
- Vietnamese
- Tía tô đất
- Welsh
- Balm
- wuu
- 香蜂花
Synonyms
- Faucibarba officinalis (L.) Dulac
- Mutelia officinalis (L.) Gren. ex Mutel
- Thymus melissa E.H.L.Krause
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Canada: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced
Photos
Photo: Lazaregagnidze, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Musa geçit, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Anne Maugé, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Silar, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Flemming Victor, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Silar, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Sissi Durand, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Plenuska, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: mofra, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Plenuska, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: aisc, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Plenuska, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
More in Melissa
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.