Aloysia citriodora
Almost everyone is familiar with the various varieties of lemon scented herbs. One of the best known favorites is fragrant and refreshing lemon verbena. It is our celebrated herb of the month for March and is known as a symbol of Southern hospitality.
Growing Verbena
If you love a good hearty lemony herb, whether you plant it in the ground or pot it in containers, this is a great herb to have in your garden. It offers a wonderful lemon flavor without any bitterness and grows with ease in warm weather.
Long Lasting Flavor and Scent
Take a fresh lemon verbena leaf, rub it between your fingers, and wow what a fantastic scent of lemon. The amazing scent comes from the aromatic oils in the leaf, and those fresh leaves infuse the taste of sweet lemon to all sort of recipes. It is good to know when these leaves are dried, the flavor and scent remain potent much longer and in comparison to most other herbs. This great news means we can look forward to a longer shelf life and many uses with this dried herb.
Tea Time
Lemon verbena makes a lovely beverage. A cup of its notable flavor can brighten the day and by night a cup is soothing and relaxing. Brew a few chopped leaves in hot water, steep in warm or cold water, or in the summer heat make a pitcher of sun brewed tisane. Mmm, it would make a refreshing lemonade too.
Tips & Use of Lemon Verbena
Fresh and Dried Leaves
Use as a substitute for lemon zest, lemongrass and lemon balm in recipes.
A few chopped fresh leaves lend its lemon flavor to recipes.
Crumble dried leaves and use alone or combine with other herbs like mint, lemon thyme, and basil.
Powder
Add to smoothies and other recipes that call for a smooth consistency.
Lemon Verbena Giveaway
Leaving a comment below enters you into the drawing for certified organic lemon verbena products courtesy of Mountain Rose Herbs. Share your tips, suggestions, ideas, experience, and thoughts about lemon verbena, the herb of Southern . On Tuesday, April 12th one name will be drawn at random from the comment section of this post. Good luck!
