Grow Great Lemon Verbena in Your Home Garden

Lemon verbena was not introduced to Europe until much later than most herbs. It is a native of Chile and Argentina. This is probably the cause of it not being used as much or being as popular. However, lemon verbena has a lovely flavor and is used in the kitchen and as a natural remedy. The leaves are best used fresh. This requires that you grow lemon verbena in your home garden. Here are some tips to help you grow this herb in your back yard.

Lemon verbena produces tiny lavender flowers in the late summer or fall and lovely foliage. It is a deciduous woody shrub. You can release the lemony fragrance simply by brushing the leaves of this herb. It is hardy in temperature zones 9 and 10. But, you can grow it in a container and bring it inside when the weather gets too cold. This means you will have a year-round supply of this lovely herb. If you grow it in a container on your windowsill, it will act like an air freshener whenever a breeze is blowing. It will grow up to 15 feet tall outside in warmer climates. If you have it in a container, it can get up to 5 feet tall.

Lemon verbena is mostly grown in containers. It will do best if the soil is rich and moist. But, do not let the soil get soggy. Keep it in full sun as much as possible. It also likes lots of nutrients, so be sure to fertilize it regularly. Fish emulsion is a wonderful non-chemical fertilizer to use on your plants. In midsummer and fall cut the plant back about half way. This will encourage the herb to stay bushy and full. That means there will be more leaves to harvest.

Keep the container of lemon verbena outside during the warmer months. If you do this, be sure you have the container on a hard surface. If you do not, the roots will grow out of the bottom of the container and take hold in the ground. New plants can be propagated by taking stem cuttings in late summer. The cuttings should be rooted in a moist mixture of sand and peat moss. Use equal parts of both.

Lemon verbena can be harvest once the plant has become established. Just be sure not to strip it too bare. If you grow it inside in a container, you will have fresh lemon verbena all year long.

You can use lemon verbena in tea to give it a slight lemony flavor. It can also be used to give a bit of lemon to rice, pound cake, or zucchini bread. The leaves will also give a delicious taste to vegetable marinades, salad dressings, fish, poultry, jams, puddings and beverages. The leaves are tough, so they should be removed from most dishes before serving.

Having a continuous supply of fresh herbs is a wonderful way to spice up your recipes. As with any other type of food, fresh is always better than store-bought. Hopefully, these tips will help you grow as much lemon verbena as you and your family can enjoy.