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Lemon verbena can be grown in the garden as well as in pots in the home or on the balcony as an insect-friendly, intensely fragrant herb with many uses.
Lemon verbena (Aloysia citriodora) is considered the refreshing herb par excellence and is also known under the names "lemon bush" or "fragrant verbena" (French: "verbena odorante"). Like vervain (Verbena officinalis), which is native to us, lemon verbena also belongs to the verbena family (Verbenaceae). We'll tell you what to look out for when planting lemon shrubs in pots and in the garden, introduce good neighbors for mixed cultures and provide instructions for propagating lemon verbena from cuttings.
Lemon verbena: flower, properties and origin
The verbena originally comes from subtropical regions of South America and was only brought to Europe at the end of the 18th century. The generic name Aloysia commemorates Maria Luisa Teresa de Parma (1751 - 1819), the wife of the then Spanish king. Therefore, some foreign-language names of lemon verbena still contain a Luise element, as shown by the names "Hierba luisa" (Luise's herb) in Spain and "Luiserlkraut" in Austria. The Latin name has long been difficult. For example, common but not officially valid synonyms are Lippia citriodora or Aloysia triphylla, which indicates the typical three-leaf leaf arrangement.
The lemon verbena is an attractive container plant for the terrace or balcony, but it is only conditionally hardy and only tolerates frost down to around -5 °C. The perennial and deciduous shrub reaches heights of around 1 to 2 meters in moderate climate zones in Europe. Under favorable conditions, for example in their home regions, the lemon verbena can even grow taller and reach dimensions of up to 3 meters. But if you want to grow lemon verbena in a pot, you don't have to be afraid, because it usually won't grow theregreater than 1.2 meters. If you look closely, you can see dark spots, the so-called oil glands, on the elongated leaves of lemon verbena, which are usually sawn at the edges. Just a light touch on the leaves releases a refreshing citrus aroma. But even if the scent is strongly reminiscent of lemons, the lemon verbena is not closely related to the lemon tree (Citrus x limon), which - like many other citrus plants also - belongs to the Rutaceae family (Rutaceae). A real eye-catcher are the dainty blossoms, which can range in color from white to pink to violet.
In our latitudes, the lemon verbena only finds good growing conditions between May and November. Lemon verbena flowers between July and September and is pollinated primarily by insects such as butterflies, carpenter bees and bumblebees. So growing them will help create a more insect-friendly garden. However, the seeds only ripen in long, warm summers.
Tip: A very close relative of the lemon verbena is the orange verbena (Aloysia citriodora 'Orange'). smell strongly reminiscent of oranges. However, in terms of uses and hardiness, orange verbena can be placed in the same category as lemon verbena.
Plant Lemon Verbena
Planting the odorant verbena is easy as long as you follow a few guidelines. If seed is found, lemon verbena can also be grown from seed. However, this requires a little more patience and care.
The right place for lemon verbena
Lemon verbena thrives best in a warm, sunny and sheltered place. Since it is only partially hardy and therefore only survives extremely mild winters outside, lemon verbena can be grown in pots. It can even be grown as a year-round houseplant. In its original habitat, the lemon verbena prefers loose, neutral to slightly alkaline soil without waterlogging.
Planting lemon verbena in pots: When cultivating in pots or tubs, there is always the question of the right substrate. For example, we recommend our Plantura organic potting soil. Due to the high content of organic matter, there is no need for peat.In addition, it is already pre-fertilized, so that the young lemon verbena plants are well supplied in the first months of growth. A sunny to partially shaded spot in a tub on the patio or in a pot on the windowsill is ideal. Depending on the growth, the lemon verbena should be repotted into a larger container about every one to two years. It is best to renew the soil as well. You can find out more about caring for and overwintering lemon verbena in a separate article.
Sowing Lemon Verbena Seeds
Lemon verbena seeds can only be found at well-stocked retailers, but hobby gardeners can also harvest them from their own plants. However, growing them can be a bit tricky, as it can take a little longer for the seeds to germinate, among other things.
- Sow from February in the greenhouse or on the windowsill.
- Fill the seed tray with a well-drained, but still water-storing substrate. For example, our Plantura organic herb and seed soil is well suited.
- Distribute the seeds about 3 cm apart on the soil and only cover them very thinly, since lemon verbena germinates in the light.
- Then water everything well and place the planter in a bright place, but not in direct sunlight. The temperature should be around 20 °C constantly.
- Now keep the soil consistently moist but not wet. A transparent cover, such as glass, helps maintain optimal temperature and humidity conditions.
- The first seedlings should appear after about 2 to 3 weeks. Plants that are too close together can now be pricked out.
Regardless of whether you brought it up yourself or bought it - the young plants should be in their final place in the spring. If you want to enjoy your lemon verbena for several years, put the plants in pots, because they can easily be overwintered frost-free. But lemon verbena is also great as an annual plant in the garden.
- Plant out in a container or bed from mid-May when the last frosts are over.
- Choose pots that are at least 20 cm in diameter; Planting distance in the bed about 40 cm.
- In the case of pots, it is important to fill the bottom with a drainage layer of a few centimeters, for example sand, gravel or expanded clay.
- Fill pots with loose, well drained and moderately nutritious substrate.
- Then water the plant well and the potplace in a sunny, warm spot.
Good Neighbors for Lemon Verbena
Plants that prefer similar locations and are therefore considered good neighbors for lemon verbena are, for example, liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), some species of St. John's wort (Hypericum spec.) or Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis). Lemon verbena can also be planted well with coriander (Coriandrum sativum) or the very bee-friendly Indian nettles (Monarda).
Propagating Lemon Verbena
The propagation of lemon verbena from seeds is difficult due to the fact that these usually do not ripen in our country. Therefore, propagation via cuttings is preferred.
In spring or summer, about 15 cm long head cuttings, i.e. shoot tips, are cut off. Only freshly grown, soft or semi-soft shoots should be used. It is best to cut them off at the transition from the woody to the still green parts. The lower leaves are removed and the cuttings are then placed in pots with potting soil.
Rooting can be encouraged by covering with foil, because lemon verbena cuttings should be kept in high humidity for reliable rooting. Rooting works best at temperatures between 18 and 25 °C and lasts about three weeks. When the first new leaves appear, the cuttings can be transplanted individually into pots. Then patience is required again, because only when the plants have reached a size of about 10 cm can the tip be cut for the first time. As a result, the shrub branches out better and grows back more bushy.
Tip: The separated leaves can be used to make fresh tea, for example. You can find out what else you can use lemon verbena for and everything you need to know about harvesting lemon verbena in a separate article.
In addition to lemon verbena, numerous other herbs grow in our home gardens, from which you can make your own tea. In our article you will find an overview of the best herbal tea blends from your own garden.