Lemon verbena exudes a pleasantly fresh scent. Because of its intense aroma, the plant is highly valued in culinary terms. Lemon verbena is also used as a medicinal plant.
Lemon verbena is often simply called lemon bush because of its fresh, lemony scent. It belongs to the verbena family and is therefore directly related to the native verbena.
Lemon verbena originally comes from South America; the plant grows wild primarily in Chile and Uruguay. In the 17th century, Spanish sailors brought lemon verbena to Europe. The genus name Aloysia citrodora still reminds us of this today. The name goes back to Maria Luisa, the wife of the then Spanish King Carlos IV. She liked lemon verbena so much that the plant is called Hierba Luisa in Spanish.
Today, lemon verbena is mainly grown in France and Spain because of its preference for warm climates.
Lemon verbena as a medicinal plant
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The leaves of the lemon verbena are oval and elongated. If you look closely, you can see small dots on it, called oil glands. They are responsible for the intense scent that comes out when you rub the leaves between your fingers. In addition to essential oils, lemon verbena contains, among other things:
- Flavonoids
- Antioxidants
In South America, lemon verbena is traditionally used as a medicinal plant, especially for digestive problems, nerve problems or psychological difficulties. The effects of lemon verbena have been clinically proven:
- The aldehydes in essential oils have been proven to have a calming effect on stress and at the same time brighten your mood.
- A 2019 study found that sleep disorders significantly improved after taking lemon verbena extract.
- Lemon verbena extract also improves muscle regeneration after heavy use, as a 2018 study shows. This is mainly due to the antioxidants it contains. They support the body in cell renewal.
- Another study found significant improvements in joint pain by administering lemon verbena extract combined with omega-3 fatty acids.
- Lemon verbena has also proven to be a valuable component in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. In addition to the antioxidant effect, the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of the plant are primarily responsible for this.
There are no known side effects of lemon verbena, although some people are allergic to the essential oils it contains. Pregnant and breastfeeding people should avoid consuming lemon verbena.
Lemon verbena tea: recipe and areas of application
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It’s best to prepare lemon verbena as a tea to benefit from its versatile healing effects. Due to its antibacterial and antioxidant effects, you can use lemon verbena tea for a variety of ailments:
- colds
- Digestive problems such as bloating, abdominal cramps or diarrhea
- Muscle cramps
- Muscle pain
- depressive moods
- Sleep problems
The preparation is very simple:
- For one cup (250 milliliters), you’ll need two teaspoons of dried lemon verbena or three to five fresh leaves.
- Pour boiling water over the herbs and let the tea steep for about 10 minutes.
- It is usually recommended to consume two to three cups of lemon verbena tea daily.
Also read: Verbena tea: home remedies for the stomach and intestines
Lemon verbena in your garden
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Lemon verbena is a perennial shrub that can reach a height of up to two meters. However, due to the milder climate conditions in our latitudes, the plant usually only grows to 100 to 120 centimeters tall. Here’s what you need to know about growing lemon verbena:
Location:
- Lemon verbena needs a bright and warm location. The plant can withstand frost temperatures of up to a maximum of eight degrees Celsius and is therefore only partially winter-proof.
- A south-facing location near a house wall is optimal so that the plant can thrive.
- The soil should be loose, well-drained and rather nutrient-poor. If the soil is too firm and clay-like, you can loosen it up with a little sand.
- To better overwinter lemon verbena, you can also plant it in a large pot.
Sowing:
- The seeds need a temperature of around 20 degrees to germinate. Sowing should take place indoors between February and April in a bright location, but without direct sunlight.
- A nutrient-poor substrate is recommended as soil. For example, you can mix peat-free potting soil with a little sand.
- Lemon verbena is one of the light germinators. So all you need to do is press them lightly onto the soil instead of covering them with it.
- It is much easier to buy cuttings because lemon verbena seedlings are very delicate.
Care:
- You should always keep the soil of the plants slightly moist. The soil should neither dry out completely nor be too wet, as lemon verbena is sensitive to waterlogging.
- Lemon verbena needs regular fertilization, especially in pots. So that you can eat the leaves later without worry, you should avoid using synthetic fertilizer. It is best to use organic fertilizer that is rich in nitrogen.
- Since lemon verbena is sensitive to low temperatures, you should overwinter it indoors. It is advisable to cut them beforehand. The plant often loses all of its leaves during the winter, but sprouts again in the spring. If the verbena is overwintering outside, you should insulate the root area with brushwood and leaves.
Harvest:
- You can harvest lemon verbena all year round. To ensure that the plant can continue to grow optimally, you should only harvest small quantities.
- Before overwintering, you can cut the plant back generously. You can simply dry the leaves as herbs. To do this, tie the branches together with a thread and hang them in a shady and dry place. If you store the dried leaves in an airtight and dark place, for example in a jar, the aroma will be retained for up to twelve months.
How to use lemon verbena in the kitchen
(Photo: CC0 / Pixabay / NGi)
Due to its intense taste, the herb can be used in many different ways in the kitchen. Basically, the taste is comparable to lemon balm and lemon verbena can also be used in a similar way. It is particularly popular in French cuisine and is suitable for both sweet and savory recipes:
- Lemon verbena gives sweet dishes in particular a fruity aroma. You can cut the leaves into small pieces and use them to refine homemade fruit yoghurts, for example. You can also use lemon verbena for vegetable smoothies.
- In the summer time you can also make soft drinks from lemon verbena. To do this, simply add a sprig of lemon verbena to a jug of water and chill it for about an hour. Alternatively, you can sweeten your drink or add some fresh lemon.
- You can also boil lemon verbena and make delicious syrup or jelly from it.
- Lemon verbena gives savory dishes such as mushroom dishes or vegetable stir-fries a fresh note. You can add three to five whole leaves while frying.
- You can also mix lemon verbena into salad to add a summery flavor.
- The lemony herb also goes well with fish dishes.
- Lemon verbena is also suitable as an ingredient for homemade herb quark, herb butter or pesto.
It is best to use fresh leaves for cooking. They taste much more intense. If you don’t have fresh leaves available, you can alternatively use dried leaves for seasoning.
Read more on Techzle\.com:
- List of culinary herbs: these herbs should not be missing in any kitchen
- Dandelion tea: effects and recipe of the underestimated medicinal herb
- Building and planting herb spirals: This is what you have to pay attention to
Revised by Philipp Multhaupt
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