How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Lemon Verbena

The bushy shrub lemon verbena (Aloysia citriodora) has slender, glossy leaves that expand swiftly in the hot summer months and refill as you harvest during the growing season. New York Garden will show you how to grow and care for Lemon Verbena in this article. Stay tuned.

Overview

Lemon verbena can become an anchoring shrub in your landscape and release its lemony scent as you pass if you reside in a USDA hardiness zone where it is hardy (zones 8 through 11). This herb has a lemony flavor and can be used in cooking recipes in place of real lemons or lemon zest. Its leaves can be collected and dried for later use or utilized fresh [1]. You can plant your seeds at the same time that you grow warm-weather plants like coleus, tomatoes, and other annuals. In full sun, it grows swiftly and produces the strongest flavor. This herb is poisonous to horses, dogs, and cats even though it is edible to people. To know more about this plant, let’s look at the overview table below:

How to Plant Lemon Verbena

The Best Time to Plant

Lemon verbena enjoys warm climates. After the last frost in the spring, plant your lemon verbena.

Choosing a Planting Site

Lemon verbena plants are a useful addition to the back of the sunny herb border due to their size and smell. A location with abundant light, rich, well-drained soil, and consistent rainfall will enable plants to grow swiftly for harvest. Place your lemon verbena plants where they won't be shaded by nearby trees or structures.

Support, Depth, and Spacing

Few viable seeds are produced by lemon verbena blossoms. Rarely do those that are created germinate. Instead of starting with seeds, gardeners should use fresh lemon verbena transplants. Young plants should be spaced 12 to 18 inches apart. If you'd like, you can train it to grow up a wall, fence, or trellis.

How to Care for Lemon Verbena

Lemon verbena has the highest oil concentration per square inch of plant material among herbs with a lemon fragrance. This plant is well-liked for use as a flavoring agent in beverages, baked products, and other applications where lemon zest would normally be used. To care for Lemon Verbena, you should notice these conditions below.

Light

Six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day, which is usual for a vegetable garden, are required for lemon verbena. To avoid lanky growth and leaf drop, plants cultivated indoors as houseplants may require additional artificial lighting.

Soil

Rich garden loam is ideal for lemon verbena, although it can also grow in normal soil. Plant them on raised beds or containers if the soil in your garden bed is deep and compacted because excellent drainage is crucial.

Water

Lemon verbena must be regularly watered. Stress on plants, leaf loss, and insect pest infestation are all caused by a lack of water. Keep the soil's top layer damp, but avoid drowning the plants; roots dislike being kept wet. Water and try to achieve a moisture level that resembles a wrung-out sponge when the top two inches of soil are dry. Plants planted indoors for the winter can receive weekly waterings, but they can also be kept dry.

Temperature and Humidity

Lemon verbena plants thrive in the bright, frost-free climate of their native South America. Leaf loss and dormancy are triggered by temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. In either a dry or humid atmosphere, plants thrive. Lemon verbena is delicate to frost, so it might be better to plant it in a container that you can bring indoors for the winter.

Fertilizer

Unlike other herbs, lemon verbena enjoys regular fertilizing to keep it lush and healthy. In the spring, fertilize plants with an all-purpose fertilizer. Plants will remain productive if they are watered with compost or manure tea during the growth season.

Harvesting Lemon Verbena

Once Lemon Verbena is at least ten inches tall and has several leaves on each stem, the leaves can be harvested. The leaves of lemon verbena are at their most flavorful when they are in bloom. However, you shouldn't just pick the leaves off a stem. Instead, you should trim the stem back to within 1/4 of a leaf or node. To allow the plant to continue growing when harvesting, only remove up to 1/4 of the stem.

How to Grow Lemon Verbena in Pots

The best option to grow Lemon Verbena is in a container, especially during colder climates. This is because it keeps the plant at a more manageable size than plants cultivated in the ground. To grow this plant in pots, you can:

• Pick any material for the container, but make sure it is twice as big as the plant's root ball.
• The container should have lots of drainage holes in the pot.
• Starting to add loose potting soil that has been improved with time-released fertilizer, leaf mold, or compost.
• Keep the pot in direct sunlight, give it daily water, and fertilize it sometimes.
• If you plant Lemon Verbena outside, bring it inside to overwinter once the temperature drops below 40°F.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Lemon Verbena rarely attracts pest problems when growing outside in rich soil and full sunlight. However, during the winter season, spider mites and whiteflies appear to be drawn to the plants when they are brought indoors. This is because they are unable to adapt to the weaker light and lower humidity. To prevent these pests, including spider mites, and mist plants, keep the dry conditions. Moreover, whiteflies will gather if yellow sticky traps are not placed.

FAQs

Is it simple to produce lemon verbena?

Starting with a little plant makes it simple, but trying to produce lemon verbena from seeds is more difficult.

How long does it take lemon verbena to grow?

When lemon verbena is planted in the spring, it grows quickly, and even after the leaves have been picked, the plant keeps expanding. Lemon verbena from seeds grows quite slowly, making it unsuitable for home gardeners.

Can lemon verbena be grown indoors?

Lemon verbena is not the best plant to include in a windowsill garden because it grows huge and might be difficult to grow inside. However, you can try growing it indoors provided you have the room for a pot that is at least 12 inches in diameter, a location with plenty of sunlight, and you're willing to frequently cut the plant to keep its size under control.

Is it OK to eat lemon verbena?

Yes, you can eat Lemon Verbena. Actually, this plant is widely used in foods and drinks.

What does lemon verbena taste like?

The flavor of lemon verbena is frequently characterized as being sweet with undertones of lemon, vibrant, and refreshing.

Final Thought

In conclusion, growing lemon verbena can be a rewarding and aromatic experience. With proper care and attention, you can enjoy the fresh and vibrant flavors of this versatile herb in your own garden or indoor space. So go ahead, start your lemon verbena journey and elevate your culinary delights with its delightful essence. Sources: The New York Garden works under restricted procurement guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies and studies conducted by academic organizations. Tertiary references should be avoided. For more information on how we ensure our material is correct and up to date, please visit our editorial policy.

1. Lemon Verbena - University of Illinois
2. Aloysia citriodora - NC State University and N.C. A&T State University