Lemon vervain should be an herb garden raw material for its citrus tree - scented leaves .
Lemon verbena(Aloysia citriodora ) is a warm perennial grown as a culinary herb . Its shiny , lance - regulate leaves try and smell like lemon and can be used as a substitute for fresh lemons or lemon relish . Snip wise leaf to sprinkle on salads , Pisces the Fishes , pork , and desserts , or dry the leave for later use . you may also use Citrus limon vervain leaves tomake herbal teaor cocktails . Grow it as a recurrent inUSDA Zones8 through 11 or as an annual in colder mood .
While this herb is edible for man , lemon vervain is toxic to cats , dogs , and sawhorse when ingested , causing tummy aches and colic , accord to the ASPCA .
Credit:Holly Shimizu
Where to Plant Lemon Verbena
flora gamboge verbena alongside other culinary herbs such as dill , sweet basil , parsley , and oregano for a collection of aromatic foliage in your garden . Lemon verbena also goes well in a mixed border alongside bloom annuals and perennials , where it add interest to the landscape and attracts pollinator and other beneficial insects . opt a location that receives full sunlight daily and plant in well - drain dirt .
you’re able to also plant lemon verbena in containers outside your backdoor for garden - clean flavor steps from the kitchen . The plant stays smaller in a container , which is a effective manner to grow gamboge vervain in a low space .
Holly Shimizu
Credit: Robert Cardillo
How and When to Plant Lemon Verbena
Set out industrial plant in the spring after the last saltation frost . you’re able to begin lemon vervain from seeded player , but seeds have a low-down germination rate and are slow to bourgeon and grow . The truehearted and easy way to develop lemon verbena is with a starter flora from a nursery . engraft it in a prepared bed ofrich , well - draining soilat the same depth it was in its glasshouse container .
To grow lemon yellow verbena indoors in the winter , keep it by a undimmed , gay windowpane indoors and water it regularly .
Lemon Verbena Care Tips
Although lemon vervain is a short - lived perennial in lovesome climates , it is grown in most section of the state as an annual . Lemon verbena grows from a transplant to a sprawling plant in a single season .
Light
Lemon verbena maturate honest infull sun — at least six hours of unmediated sunlight day by day . It can stick out some shade , but the plants wo n’t be as robust or farewell as aromatic and flavorful as those produce in full sunshine .
Soil and Water
Plant stinker verbena in organically robust , well - drained soil with apH of 6.5 . Clay or boggy soil causes the origin to rot and the plant to decease . Once establish , lemon tree verbena can hold occasional ironic condition , but it does best with ordered watering .
Temperature and Humidity
Lemon vervain can thrive in dry or humid environments , and its leaves can stand firm high heat and humidness . It ’s aboriginal to South America , where it grows in a gay , frost - free environment . When the temperature pass below 40 ° F , outdoor plants drop their leaves and go dormant . When the temperature falls below 32 ° F , the plant dies .
If you want to keep the works growing yr - rotund , move it indoors when the temperature go below 45 ° farad .
Fertilizer
Some herbs are less flavorful when they receive too many nutrients , but lemon vervain is a heavy bird feeder and needs fertiliser to thrive . Give lemon vervain anall - purpose fertilizerin the spring , following the merchandise instructions , andcompost teathroughout the growing time of year to boost vigorous leaf growth .
Pruning
When grown as an yearbook , the plant rarely exceeds 4–5 feet improbable in the single time of year . When uprise in the garden in a frost - free clime , lemon vervain can maturate into a lanky , 8 - foot - marvelous bush . Cut these cock-a-hoop plants back by a third in former spring to coax them into being shaggy-coated , thicker , and more heavyset . Lemon verbena becomes untidy over the summertime , soremove spent flowersand dead foliage as needed .
Potting and Repotting
When grown in a container , lemon verbena stays 2–3 feet tall . Select a container with drain holes and meet it with well - drain garden soil or pot soil . Lemon vervain can go in a sunny spot most of the twelvemonth , but it must be play in for the winter or frost kills it . Inside , position the plant where it receives as much sunshine as potential . or else of repotting each class , lop the industrial plant by a third to keep the size of it achievable . When you do repot , expend fresh territory .
Pests and Problems
When grown outdoors in full sun and productive soil , lemon vervain is seldom bothered by bug or diseases . If bring indoors for the wintertime , depleted light and less humidity weaken lemon verbena and make it susceptible tospider mites , aphids , and whiteflies . Mist indoor plants oftentimes to mimic tropical conditions and bestow a plant light . Poorly drained soil can direct to root rot , killing the plant life .
How to Propagate Lemon Verbena
The quickest way to propagate lemon verbena is withsoftwood cuttingsfrom young increment in early summer . take away the foliage from the bottom half of each newspaper clipping and plunge the ends in rooting hormone . enclose the carving into pots filled with a soilless mix and grow them for up to two yr before transplanting to the garden . Lemon vervain flowers develop few viable seeds that are slow to bourgeon , so cuttings are the way of life to go .
Harvesting Lemon Verbena
Pick lemon verbera leaves as needed for cooking throughout the growing season . Leaves are at their most flavorful when the works has flowered . you could prune entire stems of lemon yellow verbena and put them in a vase along with fresh - cut flowers to create a lemon - sweet-scented bouquet .
Preserve stinker verbena go away for later use by cutting entire stems andair drying themby hanging the stems upside down in the darkness . you may also carry on leaves by drying them in a food dehydrator .
Lemon Verbena Companion Plants
Dill
Dillis a good neighbor because it deters spider mites and attracts beneficial insects like ladybug , pray mantis , and wasps . An essential fixings in many recipes , aromatic dillthrives in the same sunny growing precondition as gamboge verbena . Its feathery leaves look great next to the shiny , spear - work leaves of lemon verbena .
Bee Balm
Like lemon vervain , bee balm ’s leaf and flower petals can be used to make tea , so planting these herbs together give you a mini afternoon tea garden . Bee balm ’s frilly bloom add a splashing of color to go with Citrus limon verbena ’s olfactory property , make for a heavenly garden experience . Bee balmand lemon verbena require the same grow conditions , too , so they ’re good garden roommates . Bradbury ’s bee balm(Monarda bradburiana)is a variety that ’s resistant to powdery mildew and a adept option as summer grows hotter .
Zinnias
Why stick to other edibles ? Mix it up by plantingzinniasalongside lemon yellow verbena . You ’ll get libertine coloration from these easy - to - turn yearly that fly high in the same growing conditions and territory as lemon verbena . take a marvelous mixed bag like ‘ California Giant ’ or ‘ Purple Prince ’ so gangling lemon verbena does n’t overshadow it and block its sun . The best thing about zinnias ? They ’re super easy to spring up from seed .
Frequently Asked Questions
Lemon vervain and maize balm(Melissa officinalis)have alike culinary uses . While lemon vervain break down in a freezing , lemon balm is a hardy perennial that return each give in USDA zone 3 to 7 . The downside to that hardiness is that lemon balm is a member of the mint family , so it can be invasive . On the positive side , lemon balm tolerates more tint than gamboge verbena .
In optimum consideration , it spreads as widely as it is tall . In freeze - loose field , that is 8 feet by 8 feet .
Lemon Verbena . ASPCA .
Credit: Denny Schrock
Credit: Marty Baldwin
