How to Plant and Grow Lemon Verbena

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.

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. 

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.

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.

Lemon Verbena Companion Plants

Dill

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

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

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.