Description. Lemon verbena is a perennial shrub or subshrub growing to 2–3 metres (7–10 ft) high. The 8-centimetre-long (3 in), glossy, pointed leaves are slightly rough to the touch and emit a strong lemon scent when bruised (hence the Latin specific epithet citrodora—lemon-scented).
What does lemon verbena smell like?
Verbena starts with a refreshing, lemon-like scent that gradually transforms into a sweet, fruit aroma. It also has grassy notes reminiscent of citronella. The fragrance is lighter and cleaner than that of pure lemon, making it ideal for home fragrance products.
What does lemon verbena taste like?
Lemon Verbena, as its name suggests, produces a bright yellow cup with a citrusy aroma. Its flavour is refreshingly lemony, with a smooth, almost creamy mouthfeel. It’s lighter and more fragrant than, for example, our zingy Lemongrass tea, with gentle herbal notes that set it apart from other lemon flavours.
How do you identify lemon verbena?
Lemon verbena is a perennial shrub with slightly rough, pointed leaves that emit a powerful lemon scent when bruised. For you Latin buffs, citrodora means lemon scented.
What are the properties of lemon verbena?
Lemon verbena is a plant with impressive potential health benefits. Some research suggests that it may help reduce oxidative stress, protect against muscle damage, improve sleep quality, and have anti-obesity effects.
Does lemon verbena plant smell good?
It’s hard to find a plant with a stronger citrus scent than lemon verbena. The slightest touch and the herb will exude its enchanting fragrance. In the kitchen, lemon verbena is often used to provide a burst of freshness in desserts such as blancmange, fruit salad and ice cream.
What scents go well with lemon verbena?
Blends Well With: Basil, Bergamot and other Citrus oils, Black Pepper, Boronia, Cardamom and other spice oils, Cedarwood, Chamomile, Cistus, Cypress, Elemi, Frankincense, Geranium, Grapefruit, Jasmine, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon, Lime, Liquidambar, Marjoram (Sweet), Neroli, Orange, Palmarosa, Peppermint, Petitgrain, Rose
Can you eat lemon verbena raw?
Lemon Verbena is a versatile herb well suited for both sweet and savory dishes. The young and tender leaves can be finely sliced and used raw in pestos, salsa, vinaigrettes, and marinades for meats, or they can be tossed into salads, stirred into soups, or infused as flavoring into ceviche.
What is verbena good for?
Verbena is a plant. The parts that grow above ground are used to make medicine. Verbena is used for mild gum disease (gingivitis), swelling (inflammation) of the nasal cavity and sinuses (rhinosinusitis), heart conditions, depression, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
What flavors go with lemon verbena?
It pairs well with fruits, vanilla, and seafood dishes. You can use lemon verbena in place of lemon zest in recipes. Virtually any fruit salad can be enhanced with its finely chopped leaves. Lemon verbena makes one of the best beverage teas, especially when blended with mint.
What does verbena look like?
Verbena flowers come in an array of cheerful hues including red, pink, apricot, lavender, purple, blue, white and bicolors. Clusters of small star-shaped flowers on mounding, trailing or upright plants are complemented by green lanced-shaped leaves with finely toothed edges.
What is another name for lemon verbena?
lemon beebrush
Aloysia citrodora, lemon verbena, is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family Verbenaceae, native to South America. Other common names include lemon beebrush.
Is lemon verbena toxic to humans?
When taken by mouth: Lemon verbena is LIKELY SAFE for most people when consumed in amounts found in alcoholic beverages. It is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken in appropriate amounts as a medicine, short-term. It can cause skin irritation (dermatitis) in some people.
Is lemon verbena relaxing?
Lemon verbena makes a soothing and relaxing infusion. Finding time for yourself to enjoy a delicious cup of tea relieves tension and helps reduce stress. But the components in lemon verbena give an extra boost as they have a mildly calming effect on the nervous system and help relieve muscle tension.
Is verbena good for anxiety?
These results indicate that Verbena officinalis possess anticonvulsant, anxiolytic and sedative activities, which provides scientific background for its medicinal application in various neurological ailments, such as epilepsy, anxiety, and insomnia.
What is the difference between verbena and lemon verbena?
Are Verbena and Lemon Verbena Different? In short, lemon verbena is one of many plants that could be called a verbena. Around 1,200 species are in the Verbenaceae, or verbena plant family. The ones most commonly called verbenas are the roughly 250 species in the genus Verbena.
Is lemon verbena good for skin?
This makes hydrosols more gentle than essential oils, perfect for sensitive skin. Lemon verbena hydrosol helps to calm and balance all skin types, while the aroma gives a boost of joy and confidence. Citrusy and uplifting, this flower water balances and clarifies the skin.
Is verbena good for skin?
Additionally, the anti-inflammatory properties of lemon verbena can be useful for reducing certain skin conditions. For example, issues with eczema may be reduced by using this cosmetic herb. Also, this cosmetic herb has been found to be able to fight off staph skin infections.
Is lemon verbena considered citrus?
Lemon Verbena is a flowering plant which is otherwise known as Lemon Beebrush. Although Lemon Verbena is not directly associated with the citrus fruit family, it shares a similar aroma and taste to some extent.
What is the verbena scent?
The oil produced by the verbena plant is typically yellow or green, and offers a fruity, citrus scent, hence its common epithet, lemon verbena.
Can you burn lemon verbena leaves?
Insect repellant – This plant has been traditionally used as an insect repellant by hanging bunches of it in doorways. You could also burn Lemon Verbena candles and would get a similar effect as burning Citronella candles to repel mosquitoes.