Gardening Edible Gardening Herbs How to Plant and Grow Lemon Verbena Lemon verbena should be an herb garden staple for its citrus-scented leaves. By Leanne Potts Leanne Potts Leanne Potts is an award-winning journalist who has covered home design and shelter topics for three decades. She's an expert on everything from choosing a color palette for a room to growing heirloom tomatoes to the origins of Modernism in interior design. Her writing has appeared in or on HGTV, Parade, BHG, Travel Channel, and Bob Vila. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on November 7, 2023 In This Article View All In This Article Where to Plant Planting Tips Care Pests and Problems Propagation Harvesting Companions FAQ Lemon verbena (Aloysia citriodora) is a tender perennial grown as a culinary herb. Its shiny, lance-shaped leaves taste and smell like lemon and can be used as a substitute for fresh lemons or lemon zest. Snip fresh leaves to sprinkle on salads, fish, pork, and desserts, or dry the leaves for later use. You can also use lemon verbena leaves to make herbal tea or cocktails. Grow it as a perennial in USDA Zones 8 through 11 or as an annual in colder climates. While this herb is edible for humans, lemon verbena is toxic to cats, dogs, and horses when ingested, causing stomach aches and colic, according to the ASPCA. Lemon Verbena Overview Genus Name Aloysia citriodora Common Name Lemon Verbena Additional Common Names Lemon Beebrush Plant Type Herb, Shrub Light Part Sun, Sun Height 4 to 6 feet Width 3 to 4 feet Flower Color Pink, White Foliage Color Blue/Green Season Features Fall Bloom, Summer Bloom Special Features Good for Containers, Low Maintenance Zones 10, 11, 8, 9 Propagation Stem Cuttings Problem Solvers Deer Resistant, Slope/Erosion Control Where to Plant Lemon Verbena Plant lemon verbena alongside other culinary herbs such as dill, basil, parsley, and oregano for a collection of aromatic foliage in your garden. Lemon verbena also goes well in a mixed border alongside blooming annuals and perennials, where it adds interest to the landscape and attracts pollinators and other beneficial insects. Choose a location that receives full sun daily and plant in well-draining soil. You can also plant lemon verbena in containers outside your backdoor for garden-fresh flavor steps from the kitchen. The plant stays smaller in a container, which is a good way to grow lemon verbena in a small space. Holly Shimizu How and When to Plant Lemon Verbena Set out plants in the spring after the last spring frost. You can start lemon verbena from seed, but seeds have a low germination rate and are slow to sprout and grow. The fastest and easiest way to grow lemon verbena is with a starter plant from a nursery. Plant it in a prepared bed of rich, well-draining soil at the same depth it was in its nursery container. To grow lemon verbena indoors in the winter, keep it by a bright, sunny window indoors and water it regularly. Lemon Verbena Care Tips Although lemon verbena is a short-lived perennial in warm climates, it is grown in most parts of the country as an annual. Lemon verbena grows from a transplant to a sprawling plant in a single season. Light Lemon verbena grows best in full sun— at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. It can tolerate some shade, but the plants won’t be as robust or leaves as aromatic and flavorful as those grown in full sun. Soil and Water Plant lemon verbena in organically rich, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5. Clay or soggy soil causes the roots to rot and the plant to die. Once established, lemon verbena can withstand occasional dry conditions, but it does best with consistent watering. Temperature and Humidity Lemon verbena can thrive in dry or humid environments, and its leaves can withstand high heat and humidity. It’s native to South America, where it grows in a sunny, frost-free environment. When the temperature falls below 40°F, outdoor plants drop their leaves and go dormant. When the temperature falls below 32°F, the plant dies. If you want to keep the plant growing year-round, move it indoors when the temperature goes below 45°F. Fertilizer Some herbs are less flavorful when they receive too many nutrients, but lemon verbena is a heavy feeder and needs fertilizer to thrive. Give lemon verbena an all-purpose fertilizer in the spring, following the product instructions, and compost tea throughout the growing season to encourage vigorous leaf growth. Pruning When grown as an annual, the plant rarely exceeds 4–5 feet tall in the single season. When grown in the garden in a frost-free climate, lemon verbena can grow into a lanky, 8-foot-tall shrub. Cut these big plants back by a third in early spring to coax them into being bushier, thicker, and more compact. Lemon verbena becomes untidy over the summer, so remove spent flowers and dead foliage as needed. Potting and Repotting When grown in a container, lemon verbena stays 2–3 feet tall. Select a container with drain holes and fill it with well-draining garden soil or potting soil. Lemon verbena can live in a sunny spot most of the year, but it must be brought in for the winter or frost kills it. Inside, position the plant where it receives as much sunlight as possible. Instead of repotting each year, trim the plant by a third to keep the size manageable. When you do repot, use fresh soil. Pests and Problems When grown outdoors in full sun and rich soil, lemon verbena is seldom bothered by bugs or diseases. If brought indoors for the winter, lower light and less humidity weaken lemon verbena and make it susceptible to spider mites, aphids, and whiteflies. Mist indoor plants frequently to mimic tropical conditions and add a plant light. Poorly drained soil can lead to root rot, killing the plant. The 11 Best Grow Lights to Help Your Plants Thrive, Based on Testing How to Propagate Lemon Verbena The quickest way to propagate lemon verbena is with softwood cuttings from new growth in early summer. Remove the foliage from the bottom half of each cutting and dip the ends in rooting hormone. Insert the cuttings into pots filled with a soilless mix and grow them for up to two years before transplanting to the garden. Lemon verbena flowers produce few viable seeds that are slow to germinate, so cuttings are the way to go. Harvesting Lemon Verbena Pick lemon verbera leaves as needed for cooking throughout the growing season. Leaves are at their most flavorful when the plant has flowered. You can clip entire stems of lemon verbena and put them in a vase along with fresh-cut flowers to create a lemon-scented bouquet. Preserve lemon verbena leaves for later use by cutting entire stems and air drying them by hanging the stems upside down in the dark. You can also preserve leaves by drying them in a food dehydrator. The 6 Best Food Dehydrators of 2024, Tested and Approved Lemon Verbena Companion Plants Dill Robert Cardillo Dill is a good neighbor because it deters spider mites and attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs, praying mantises, and wasps. An essential ingredient in many recipes, aromatic dill thrives in the same sunny growing conditions as lemon verbena. Its feathery leaves look great next to the shiny, spear-shaped leaves of lemon verbena. Bee Balm Denny Schrock Like lemon verbena, bee balm’s leaves and flower petals can be used to make tea, so planting these herbs together gives you a mini tea garden. Bee balm’s frilly blooms add a splash of color to go with lemon verbena’s aroma, making for a heavenly garden experience. Bee balm and lemon verbena need the same growing conditions, too, so they’re good garden roommates. Bradbury’s bee balm (Monarda bradburiana) is a variety that’s resistant to powdery mildew and a good pick as summer grows hotter. Zinnias Marty Baldwin Why stick to other edibles? Mix it up by planting zinnias alongside lemon verbena. You’ll get fast color from these easy-to-grow annuals that thrive in the same growing conditions and soil as lemon verbena. Choose a tall variety like ‘California Giant’ or ‘Purple Prince’ so lanky lemon verbena doesn’t overshadow it and block its sun. The best thing about zinnias? They’re super easy to grow from seed. Frequently Asked Questions What is the difference between lemon verbena and lemon balm? Lemon verbena and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) have similar culinary uses. While lemon verbena dies in a freeze, lemon balm is a hardy perennial that returns each spring in USDA Zones 3 to 7. The downside to that hardiness is that lemon balm is a member of the mint family, so it can be invasive. On the plus side, lemon balm tolerates more shade than lemon verbena. Does lemon verbena spread in the garden? In optimal conditions, it spreads as wide as it is tall. In frost-free areas, that is 8 feet by 8 feet. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Better Homes & Gardens is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources—including peer-reviewed studies—to support the facts in our articles. Read about our editorial policies and standards to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. Lemon Verbena. ASPCA.