From the Apothecary: Lemon Verbena

Aloysia citrodora — one of the most intensely beautiful scents in the herb garden. A clean, bright, true lemon fragrance that is quite unlike any other plant. Not sharp, not synthetic, not vaguely citrus — properly, unmistakably lemon. Once you've grown it, you'll never want to be without it.

What It Is

A tender deciduous shrub native to South America, lemon verbena is grown as a half-hardy perennial in the UK. It can reach 1–2 metres in a sheltered spot and produces small white flowers in late summer. The long, pointed leaves are the source of its extraordinary fragrance — and they hold that scent remarkably well when dried, which makes lemon verbena one of the most useful herbs in the apothecary and the home.

Lemon Verbena for Skin

Lemon verbena has toning and mildly astringent properties, making it well suited to oily or combination skin. It's lighter in action than yarrow — more refreshing than deeply cleansing — and the scent alone makes it a pleasure to use.

A lemon verbena toner is one of the most uplifting things you can splash on your face on a warm morning. Simple to make, genuinely effective, and it smells extraordinary.

Simple Lemon Verbena Facial Toner

You'll need:

• 2 tbsp dried lemon verbena leaves (or a small handful fresh)
• 250ml boiling water

Pour boiling water over the leaves and leave to steep until completely cool. Strain through muslin into a clean bottle. Apply to clean skin with a cotton pad. Keep in the fridge and use within 5 days.

The cold infusion version: for a gentler, more delicate result, cover the leaves with cold water and leave overnight. The fragrance is softer but the toning effect is still there.

Lemon Verbena Bath Herb

This is where lemon verbena really earns its place. Add a generous handful of dried leaves to a muslin bag and drop into a warm bath. The steam releases the essential oils and the bathroom will smell extraordinary. It's an uplifting rather than calming soak — better for a morning bath or when you need to feel refreshed rather than ready for sleep.

Pair with a few sprigs of fresh mint if you have it for an even more invigorating combination.

Around the Home

One of the finest pot pourri ingredients available — dried lemon verbena holds its scent for months and brings a clean, fresh note to any blend. Place sachets in drawers and wardrobes for a natural, long-lasting fragrance that doesn't fade the way synthetic alternatives do.

In the Kitchen

Lemon verbena makes a beautiful herbal tea — fresh or dried, steeped for 5 minutes. Use leaves to flavour sorbets, custards, cakes, and syrups. A few leaves added to a jug of cold water make a wonderfully refreshing summer drink. Lemon verbena sugar — blitzed leaves with caster sugar — is a simple way to preserve the flavour for baking.

Fancy Growing Your Own?

Lemon verbena needs a warm, sheltered position — a south-facing wall is ideal. It's frost-tender, so bring pots indoors over winter or protect in situ with fleece. It may drop its leaves in winter and look entirely dead, but don't give up on it — it will reshoot in spring. Grow in well-drained soil or compost and don't overwater.

Harvest leaves throughout the growing season — the fragrance is strongest just before flowering. Dry at low temperature to preserve the volatile oils. Dried lemon verbena retains its scent remarkably well, which is more than can be said for most herbs.

Lemon verbena is one of those herbs that makes the garden worth having. It asks for a little extra care in winter, and it repays you generously — in the bath, in the kitchen, in a sachet in the linen cupboard, and in the simple pleasure of brushing past it on a warm afternoon. 🍋