Lemon Verbena
- botanical name: Aloysia tryphylla
- annual
- height 24-36″
- spacing 20″ apart
- full sun tolerant
- average, well-drained soil
- flower color white
- uses in garden: great in containers, as an edging, fragrant
- use in desserts, teas and liqueurs, or savory dishes, especially fish or chicken, use in potpourri, sachets
- rabbit and insect resistant
*Please note: We accept plant orders at any time of the year and if you prefer to place an order outside our regular shipping months of April-May, ordering is still easy. “Why we only ship in April and May”
Due to the nature of shipping live plants, when you place an order, we will simply hold your order and ship it at the proper time for your zone, when weather permits in April 2013. Seed packets are shipped year round through USPS.
For more information see our “Ordering and Shipping Policy.”
Lemon Verbena is known for having the most pure and intense citrus scent and flavor of all herbs. It has no bitterness, so it is particularly well suited for desserts, teas and liqueurs. It also lends itself well to various savory dishes, especially fish or chicken. Find great Lemon Verbena recipes here!
Lemon Verbena is deciduous – meaning if grown in a container and brought indoors for the winter, it will loose its leaves in the fall. If it looses its leaves any other time of the year, however, it may be suffering from lack of water or root shock. This plant has a tendency to be leggy, by cutting back regularly you can train Lemon Verbena into nice topiary forms.
Sowing Instructions:
Lemon Verbena may be started from seeds, however the plant produces them infrequently. The recommended method is propagation by cuttings. Pinch leaves to encourage more dense growth.
Where seasons are short the plants may not produce flowers, but if they do you can harvest them for use. To harvest, strip leaves and chop. One way to preserve the leaves is to add the finely chopped leaves to water and freeze in ice cube trays. Or to dry, hang in bunches in a cool, airy location. Once dry store in an air-tight container. For more information, step-by-step instructions, and photos click here.
