Lemon Balm 'Quedlinburger Niederliegende' Seeds

Quedlinburger Niederliegende is a German lemon balm selected for a higher essential-oil content, which means more scent and a stronger lemon flavour in every leaf. The soft, crinkled, bright green leaves make a fresh herbal tea, lift fruit salads and summer drinks, and suit sauces for fish. The name comes from the town of Quedlinburg in Saxony-Anhalt, and niederliegende means low-lying: Melissa officinalis 'Quedlinburger Niederliegende' forms a bushy, spreading clump that suits pots and the front of a herb bed, and bees visit its small white summer flowers.

Sowing and growing

• Sow indoors March to May, or outdoors May to June.
• Sow on the surface and barely cover; the seed needs light to germinate.
• Germination takes 7 to 15 days at 15 to 20°C.
• Full sun to partial shade, in moist but well-drained soil; it grows well in containers.
• Forms a clump about 30 to 40 cm tall and 30 to 40 cm wide.
• Pick leaves from about 8 weeks after sowing; small white flowers appear June to August. Leaves have the best flavour before flowering, so cut back after flowering for fresh growth.
• Hardy perennial: dies back in winter, regrows each spring and self-seeds if left to flower.

What you receive: a packet of about 140 seeds from Piccolo Seeds, with growing instructions on the back.

Explore our full range of herb and flower seeds, grow it alongside chamomile in the Herbal Teas seed collection, or browse more plants for bees and pollinators.