How To Grow Lemon Verbena

Lemon verbena is one of my favorite herbs for its incredible lemon scent. Just brushing against the leaves releases a fresh citrus fragrance, and a few sprigs can add wonderful flavor to teas, desserts, and other recipes.

Although lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora) is technically a perennial shrub, I treat it more like an annual in my Arizona garden. Our intense summer heat often takes it out before it gets very large, but it’s definitely still worth growing. Here are five tips for growing lemon verbena and enjoying it while it lasts.

1. Plant Lemon Verbena at the Right Time

One of the first things I’ve learned about gardening in Arizona is how much planting time matters. A plant that struggles in one season may grow beautifully when planted at the right time.

Lemon verbena is a good example. Although lemon verbena is a perennial, I don’t expect it to behave like one in my low-desert garden. Summer heat can shorten its life, and getting it established during milder weather gives it a better start.

Growing lemon verbena from seed is difficult, so I recommend starting with a transplant or rooted cutting. Transplants are usually the easiest option.

When to plant lemon verbena in Arizona:

In the low desert of Arizona, the planting windows are

• February through April
• October through November

Spring is my preferred time to plant lemon verbena because it gives the roots time to establish before summer. Fall is another possible planting window, but young plants may need protection from freezing temperatures.

If you live somewhere with a milder summer, lemon verbena may grow into a much larger shrub and return year after year.

What about winter?

One thing that can surprise gardeners is how lemon verbena responds to colder weather. Lemon verbena often loses some or all of its leaves as temperatures drop. It may look like the plant has died, but that’s not necessarily the case.

Don’t be too quick to pull it out. Give it some time when temperatures warm in spring and watch for new growth. I’ve learned that gardening requires patience. Sometimes the best thing you can do is wait and see what a plant does next.

2. Choose the Best Location for Growing Lemon Verbena

When I read descriptions of lemon verbena growing into a large shrub, I have to smile a little. That hasn’t been my experience here in the low desert. The plants in my garden generally stay much smaller because they often don’t survive our summers. Rather than planning for a large, permanent shrub, I give lemon verbena room to grow as a seasonal herb.

I space plants about 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) apart in my low-desert garden. If you’re growing lemon verbena as a long-lived perennial in a milder climate, allow more space for its mature size.

How much sun does lemon verbena need?

Lemon verbena loves sunlight, but there’s a big difference between full sun in a mild climate and full sun during an Arizona summer. That’s something I’ve learned with many plants in my garden. A recommendation for full sun doesn’t always mean a plant will appreciate the intense afternoon sun we get here. For more information on what type of sun exposure plants need here in the low desert read this: Full Sun or Afternoon Shade? Arizona Landscape Plant Guide

For my lemon verbena, I prefer a location with morning sun and afternoon shade. Avoid areas with reflected heat from walls, pavement, or other hard surfaces. Those spots can become especially hot during summer.

Even with a good location, lemon verbena may struggle during extreme heat. Sometimes shade and careful watering aren’t enough to get a plant through an Arizona summer.

Soil and containers

Lemon verbena grows best in well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter. I like to prepare garden beds with compost before planting. Healthy soil helps support the plant without needing a complicated fertilizer routine.

Lemon verbena is also a good candidate for containers, especially if you’re working with limited space. One advantage of growing herbs in containers is flexibility. You can move the pot into a more protected location when temperatures become extreme.

If you’re growing lemon verbena in a container, make sure it has drainage holes and enough space for healthy root growth.

Related Reading: How to Grow Herbs in Containers

3. Care for Lemon Verbena as It Grows

Lemon verbena doesn’t need complicated care, but it does appreciate some attention, especially as temperatures rise. In my experience, success in a desert garden often comes down to paying attention to what your plants are telling you rather than following a rigid schedule.

Water consistently

Lemon verbena prefers evenly moist soil during active growth. Water deeply enough to moisten the root zone, then allow the surface of the soil to begin drying before watering again.

Our hot, dry weather can cause soil to dry quickly, so check the moisture regularly rather than relying on the same watering schedule throughout the year. At the same time, don’t keep the soil constantly wet. Good drainage is important for healthy roots.

Don’t overdo the fertilizer

I’m a big believer in starting with healthy soil. If you’ve prepared your garden bed with compost, lemon verbena usually won’t need much additional fertilizer. A light top-dressing of compost during the growing season can help replenish nutrients. More fertilizer isn’t always better. Too much can encourage excessive soft growth without improving the health of the plant.

Prune to encourage bushier growth

Lemon verbena can become leggy as it grows. Regular pruning and harvesting help encourage branching and keep the plant looking fuller. If your lemon verbena survives winter, wait until you see new growth in spring before removing branches that may have been damaged by cold weather. During the growing season, pinch back the growing tips or trim stems as needed.

I love when a gardening task serves more than one purpose. With lemon verbena, harvesting leaves for the kitchen also helps shape the plant.

As temperatures drop, lemon verbena may shed its leaves—this fall care guide explains how to prune and protect it.

Watch for pests

Lemon verbena is generally fairly easy to care for, but it can occasionally attract spider mites, aphids, whiteflies, and mealybugs.

Spider mites are worth watching for during hot, dry weather. Before reaching for a treatment, take a closer look. Many pest problems are minor, and beneficial insects may already be helping keep them under control. I’ve learned that not every insect needs to be eliminated. A healthy garden includes both pests and the beneficial insects that feed on them. If damage is limited, monitoring the plant may be all that’s needed.

4. Harvest Lemon Verbena Throughout the Growing Season

One of my favorite things about growing herbs is being able to step into the garden and harvest exactly what I need. Lemon verbena is especially rewarding because its leaves are so fragrant. You don’t need a large harvest to enjoy the flavor.

Harvest lemon verbena in the morning, after the dew has dried and before the hottest part of the day. This is a good time to collect fresh, aromatic leaves. You can clip individual sprigs or pinch the tips of stems throughout the growing season. Don’t feel like you need to wait until the plant is large before harvesting. Once it’s established and growing well, light, regular harvesting encourages branching.

How to harvest for drying

If you have more lemon verbena than you can use fresh, drying the leaves is a great way to preserve them. Harvest healthy, fragrant sprigs before or around flowering. Remove any damaged or discolored leaves. Dry the leaves in a well-ventilated location out of direct sunlight, or use a dehydrator on a low temperature suitable for herbs. Once the leaves are completely dry, remove them from the stems and store them in an airtight container away from heat and light.

Because my lemon verbena doesn’t always make it through summer, I think it’s especially worthwhile to harvest and preserve the leaves while the plant is growing well. That’s one of the lessons I’ve learned from desert gardening: enjoy and use what your garden gives you while it’s available.

5. Use Lemon Verbena in a Variety of Ways

The fragrance is what makes lemon verbena special to me, but its usefulness in the kitchen is another reason to grow it. The leaves have a distinctive lemon flavor without the acidity of lemon juice. Both fresh and dried leaves can be used to add citrus flavor to recipes. You don’t need much. A few leaves can go a long way.

Here are some ways to use lemon verbena:

• Make herbal tea. Steep fresh or dried leaves in hot water for a fragrant, lemony drink. This video goes into more depth on growing your own herbal tea garden.
• Flavor baked goods. Add dried, crumbled leaves to banana bread, carrot cake, or other recipes.
• Infuse simple syrup. Use the syrup to flavor drinks and desserts.
• Make culinary infusions. Add lemon verbena to cream, milk, or sugar to bring its flavor into recipes.
• Add flavor to rice. Use finely chopped leaves sparingly for a fresh citrus note.
• Flavor marinades. Add whole sprigs while the marinade develops its flavor.
• Preserve leaves. Dehydrate or freeze-dry them to use later.

Lemon verbena leaves can be tough, especially as they mature. If you’re using whole leaves or sprigs to flavor a dish, remove them before serving.

Lemon verbena in flower arrangements

Lemon verbena isn’t just useful in the kitchen. Its leafy stems can also add fragrance and greenery to garden bouquets.

I love finding plants that serve more than one purpose. Growing herbs alongside flowers gives you even more options when cutting stems to bring indoors. Lemon verbena’s scented foliage is a lovely addition to simple garden arrangements. If you enjoy growing flowers for bouquets, consider adding a few herbs for interesting foliage and fragrance.

Is Lemon Verbena Worth Growing in a Hot Climate?

For me, the answer is yes.

Not every plant in my garden is a permanent fixture, and I’ve learned to be okay with that. Sometimes a plant is worth growing for a season because of what it adds to the garden while it’s there. Lemon verbena is one of those plants.

Its wonderful fragrance, flavorful leaves, and versatility make it worth planting, even if our summer heat eventually takes it out. Give it a good start during mild weather, protect it from intense afternoon sun, and harvest the leaves while it’s growing well.

If it survives summer and comes back for another season, that’s a bonus. If not, there’s always another planting season ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions About Growing Lemon Verbena