Herbs and Spices Untitled Document

Lemon Verbena

Citronverbena

Plant Description

Aromatic: Lemon verbena or Lemon beebrush (syn. Aloysia triphylla) is a deciduous perennial shrub native to Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, and Peru. This plant was brought to Europe by the Spanish in the 17th century. It grows to a height of 1 to 3 meters and exudes a powerful lemony scent.

Season:
It is in leaf from May to November, in flower in August.

Uses in Cooking:

Lemon verbena leaves are used to add a lemony flavor to fish and poultry dishes, vegetable marinades, salad dressings, jams, puddings, and beverages. It also is used to make herbal teas and can make a refreshing sorbet. You can use lemon verbena in place of lemon zest in recipes.

Possible Substitutes:

Lemon Balm

How it comes:

Spice Mixes

You can get some from a friend you will be surprised how many people have lemon verbena in their gardens. It is a traditional and long loved bush. The oil of lemon verbena is available at shops specializing in essences.

Other Uses:

An undervalued medicinal herb, lemon verbena contains a strong lemon-scented essential oil that has calming and digestive qualities. The plant has a gentle sedative action and a reputation for soothing abdominal discomfort. The essential oil is used in aroma therapy in the treatment of nervous and digestive problems.