how to identify a lemon balm you can easily identify a lemon balm plant by smelling its leaves the leaves are the lemon balm plant our lemon scented however if you want to be more certain whether you've picked the right plant or not then you will need to look for other clues the leaves the a lemon balm plant has light green leaves that are a little bit rounded its leaves have a crinkled appearance with scallops around the edges if you look at the plant stem you may notice some dense leaves growing freely on them the sighs lemon plants grow around to the three feet doll during the early spring they grow then to mound of foliage fragrance compared to its lemon scented counterparts lemon balm has a zesty touch of lemon scent it can be used to freshen the air and lighten up the mood softness lemon balm is a tough plant it can survive for years and spread itself to a wider area as it grows