Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the mint family and native to south-central Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, Iran, and Central Asia, but now naturalised elsewhere.
 
The use of lemon balm can be dated to over 2000 years ago through the Greeks and the Romans. It is mentioned by the Greek polymath Theophrastus in his Historia Plantarum, written in c.300 BC,[8] as "bee-leaf" (μελισσόφυλλον).[9] Lemon balm was formally introduced into Europe in the 7th century, from which its use and domestication spread.[8] Its use in the Middle Ages is noted by herbalists, writers, philosophers, and scientists.