As we continue to take a look at the useful plants that may be growing in your backyard, we come across one of the most fragrant weeds you’ll find: lemon balm. If you’ve ever been out cutting the grass and suddenly catch a strong whiff of lemon, you probably have some. That, or the kids pulled all the lemons off your tree and threw them into the yard (no, this hasn’t happened yet with our kids/tree, but sometimes I have nightmares about it).
Lemon balm has tooth-edged, opposite leaves which look similar to some mints (of whose family it is a member). It is typically low-growing (1-2′) but can grow up to several feet tall in the right conditions. The flowers are tiny and white and are well-loved by bees.