Lemon Verbena
Aloysia citrodora
📖 About this plant
Deciduous shrub with the most intense lemon fragrance of any herb. Narrow leaves make refreshing herbal tea and flavor custards, jams, and beverages; drops leaves in cold winters.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun (6-8 hrs)
Every 1-2 weeks
Moderate (40-60%)
10-30°C
Well-draining, slightly acidic loam (pH 6.0-7.0)
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly during growing season
🌐 Common Names
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- South America (Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay)
- 📏 Max height
- 1-3 meters (3-10 feet)
- 📐 Spread
- 60-90 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Summer
- 🎨 Bloom color
- White, Pink
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Perennial
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic to humans; leaves used for teas, baking, and potpourri. Mildly toxic to dogs and cats if ingested in large amounts.
- 🌱 Propagation
- Semi-hardwood cuttings in late summer; softwood cuttings in spring
🛡️ Health & Safety
Non-toxic to humans; leaves used for teas, baking, and potpourri. Mildly toxic to dogs and cats if ingested in large amounts.
Common issues
- Whitefly infestations
- Spider mites
- Leaf drop from cold temperatures
- Root rot
💡 Care tips
- Most intensely lemon-scented of all culinary herbs
- Leaves make a wonderful herbal tea and flavor desserts
- Drops leaves in winter but regrows from the roots in spring
- Harvest anytime for fresh leaves or dry for long-term storage