Lemon Verbena
Lemon Verbena is a tender perennial shrub prized for its intensely lemon-scented leaves that deliver the most authentic citrus fragrance of any herb. This attractive plant reaches 6-8 feet tall in mild climates with lance-shaped leaves and delicate spikes of tiny white to pale purple flowers in summer that attract pollinators while adding ornamental appeal.
The highly aromatic foliage is exceptional for herbal teas, offering a pure lemon flavor without bitterness that makes it a favorite for refreshing hot or iced beverages, culinary applications, potpourri, and aromatherapy. Fresh or dried leaves add bright citrus notes to desserts, fish dishes, salad dressings, and fruit salads, while also serving in traditional digestive and calming herbal preparations. Lemon Verbena thrives in full sun with well-drained soil and moderate water, performing beautifully in containers that can be moved indoors during winter in cold climates.
The plant is deciduous or semi-evergreen depending on climate, often dropping leaves in winter dormancy before returning with vigorous spring growth. Tender to frost and hardy only to USDA Zones 8-11, lemon verbena can be grown as an annual in colder regions or overwintered indoors as a houseplant, making its exceptional fragrance and flavor accessible to gardeners everywhere.
Lemon Verbena
Lemon Verbena is a tender perennial shrub prized for its intensely lemon-scented leaves that deliver the most authentic citrus fragrance of any herb. This attractive plant reaches 6-8 feet tall in mild climates with lance-shaped leaves and delicate spikes of tiny white to pale purple flowers in summer that attract pollinators while adding ornamental appeal.
The highly aromatic foliage is exceptional for herbal teas, offering a pure lemon flavor without bitterness that makes it a favorite for refreshing hot or iced beverages, culinary applications, potpourri, and aromatherapy. Fresh or dried leaves add bright citrus notes to desserts, fish dishes, salad dressings, and fruit salads, while also serving in traditional digestive and calming herbal preparations. Lemon Verbena thrives in full sun with well-drained soil and moderate water, performing beautifully in containers that can be moved indoors during winter in cold climates.
The plant is deciduous or semi-evergreen depending on climate, often dropping leaves in winter dormancy before returning with vigorous spring growth. Tender to frost and hardy only to USDA Zones 8-11, lemon verbena can be grown as an annual in colder regions or overwintered indoors as a houseplant, making its exceptional fragrance and flavor accessible to gardeners everywhere.
