{"id":"lemon-balm","common_names":["Lemon Balm","Balm","Common Balm","Balm mint"],"scientific_name":"Melissa officinalis","urls":{"plant":"https://verdapaw.com/plants/lemon-balm","cats":"https://verdapaw.com/plants/lemon-balm/cats","dogs":"https://verdapaw.com/plants/lemon-balm/dogs","data":"https://verdapaw.com/plants/lemon-balm/data.json"},"toxicity":{"cat":{"severity":0,"grade":"S0 Safe","verdict_sentence":"Lemon balm is non-toxic to cats (S0 Safe): the ASPCA lists Melissa officinalis as safe for cats, dogs, and horses with no toxic principle on record — and despite the \"balm mint\" name, it is not a Mentha, so the garden-mint caution does not carry over.","toxic_principles":[],"toxic_parts":[],"symptoms":[],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/lemon-balm","name":"ASPCA","accessed_at":"2026-09-13"}],"reviewed_by":"Zhe Li","reviewed_at":"2026-09-13"},"dog":{"severity":0,"grade":"S0 Safe","verdict_sentence":"Lemon balm is non-toxic to dogs (S0 Safe): the ASPCA lists Melissa officinalis as safe for dogs, cats, and horses with no toxic principle on record.","toxic_principles":[],"toxic_parts":[],"symptoms":[],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/lemon-balm","name":"ASPCA","accessed_at":"2026-09-13"}],"reviewed_by":"Zhe Li","reviewed_at":"2026-09-13"}},"license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","terms":"Free to reuse with attribution to Verdapaw and a link to the plant page."},"cite_as":"Verdapaw Plant × Pet Safety Index, verdapaw.com/plants/lemon-balm, reviewed 2026-09-13"}