Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla - previously Lippia citriodora)

There are different ways or realms to “knowing”.  I know intuitively that my lemon verbena plant has a positive effect on my mood and physical health.  It also has a beneficial effect in my garden;

I enjoy the scent from its leaves as I brush past it.

Looking at its pretty white flowers never fails to bring a very big smile to my face. It flowers prolifically in its growing season, summer here, and they are always covered in my bees. 

The tea I drink every day from its leaves and flowers I know helps to keep me happy, calm and healthy.

The little potpourri sachets I make with its dried leaves keeps my linen, clothes and home smelling fresh and clean filling my home with love.

Since asking it to be my herbal ally this year I have spent more time with my lemon verbena plant and I feel a stronger connection with it.  I experience this as joyful, wise, calming and grounding.

This I know.

Another way of knowing is the realm of reason, a more rational evidence based approach to truth and knowledge.  In my research in this realm I have learnt that Lemon verbena is native to Argentina and Chile and was first brought to Europe by the Spanish in the 17th Century.  It is cultivated today in other countries with a warm and temperate climates worldwide.  I have read (greerink) that in 1784, lemon verbena was named in honour of Maria Luisa, wife of Spain's King Charles IV, and the name itself references the lemon scent of the plant's leaves.  History Of Use listed in greerlink:

Lemon verbena has been used for hundreds of years as a sedative, to ease muscle spasms and to prevent intestinal gas. It is also used as a tea and for fragrance in perfumes. Due to its late introduction into Europe, lemon verbena was not figured as an important medical herb. In folk medicine, it has been used as an aid to digestion and allegedly has a tonic effect on the stomach and intestines. It is given credit as a sedative and fever reducer. The essential oil is extracted through steam distillation. This essential oil is said to be acaricidal and bactericidal. Pure oil of verbena is expensive, so it is often diluted with other distillates. Also due to its strong lemony smell, both as a fresh and dried plant, it has been used as a flavoring in all types of dishes, salads, stuffings, meat dishes, baked goods and grains, as well as being a popular tea. The dried leaves of lemon verbena are a prized in scent filling for sachets and pillows, and are a popular ingredient in potpourri mixtures. For most medicinal purposes, users will make a tea by pouring boiling water over the fresh or dried leaves and allowing the concoction to steep for at least five minutes.  Similar to mint and orange flowers lemon verbena is commonly used as a natural aid for stomach aches, indigestion, to calm the nervous system, for de-stressing, and for insomnia due to general tension. In addition, it is also utilized as an anti-spasmodic, a mild expectorant, for easing colic, feverish cold, reducing fevers, and for relieving spasms of digestive track (colon) (greerink).

Health Benefits of Lemon Verbena listed in LIVE STRONG.COM  April 2^nd, 2015

“Hydration and Low in Calories

Herbal tea is a good way to keep your body hydrated throughout the day, which is important for healthy organ function. According to MedlinePlus, you should get six to eight glasses of fluids per day, and herbal teas can make up some, most or all of the recommendation. As a low-calorie drink, a single cup of herbal tea has only 2 calories per serving. It can substitute for higher-calorie beverages and potentially help regulate your “munchies,” leading to lower overall calorie intake.

Protects Against Muscle Damage

A 2011 issue of the “European Journal of Applied Physiology” included a 21-day study where participants worked out for 90 minutes each day and took lemon verbena extract as an antioxidant supplement to their regular diet. Researchers found that lemon verbena reduced the amount of overall muscle damage the participants experienced, while not having any effect on their ability to build endurance and speed.

Effect on Joint Function

The “Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine” published a preliminary study in 2011 on the effect of lemon verbena and joint health. Over the course of nine weeks, 45 participants with joint problems took a dietary supplement of omega-3 fatty acids and lemon verbena. Researchers found that after a period of three to four weeks, participants taking the supplement showed a significant decrease in overall joint pain and an increase in joint mobility. Scientists found that the lemon verbena extract had strong antioxidant properties, and they recommended further research as the supplement showed great promise for alternative joint care.

Boosts the Immune System

The “Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports” published a study in 2012 that found that lemon verbena extract significantly reduced overall oxidative stress in athletes. Over the course of 21 days, participants took part in a moderate aerobic-training program, three days a week, and some consumed a 1.8-gram lemon verbena extract per day. Researchers found that, at the end of the study, those taking the supplement had stronger white blood cells, indicating a healthier immune system, and had fewer markers of oxidative stress, both of which could be attributed to the antioxidant properties of lemon verbena.” (Livestrong.com,2014)”

Gardening Australia’s tips for propagating Lemon Verbena:

“Stem cuttings
Angus prefers to propagate woody perennial herbs such as lavender, lemon verbena and lemon myrtle from stem cuttings and it's a pretty straight forward process. He has been experimenting with long stem cuttings and has found that by having a much longer cutting (approx 15cm), you get a far more extensive root system to take up water and nutrients, which means your plant gets established much better.
Angus prepares lavender cuttings.

• Cut a stem off the main bush, about15cm long off the main bush
• Cut the piece just below a leaf node
• Strip the foliage from the bottom of the cutting
• Dip the cutting in some hormone gel to encourage better root formation
• Finally Angus uses a dibber (or pencil) to make a hole for the cutting to go into. Don't push the cutting in as you will damage it
  Once the pot's full of cuttings, give it a really good water in and put it in a nice sheltered spot where it's out of full sun. If conditions are quite hot, you could put a plastic bag over the top to keep the humidity up and after a couple of months your plants will be ready to go into the garden.”

I know that Lemon Verbena is a great plant to have in the garden and is a wonderful additional to a medicinal herb garden.  If anyone out there would like me to send them a cutting to propagate drop me a line and I will what I can do  : )

References:
Gardening Australia, April 2^nd 2015, Growing Herbs fact sheet, http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/.

Greerink.com, April 2^nd 2015, Lemon Verbena, www.greerink.com/242.en.html.

LIVESTRONG.COM, April 2^nd 2015, Health Benefits of Lemon Verbena, www.livestrong.com.

I have two lemon verbena shrubs in my garden and I adore them.  They smell delicious, look amazing and my bee’s love the prolific delicate white flowers they produce for me at least twice in a growing season.

I use the leaves from my lemon verbena plant to make a tea that I drink every morning with breakfast and sometimes for afternoon tea.  It makes a very pleasant refreshing drink just perfect to get me started for the day. I add the picked leaves, flowers an all, into a tea pot and just add hot water.  Leave to brew for 5 minutes.  

During summer time, when lemon verbena is at its best here in Western Australia, I take a small cutting each morning, for my tea,  straight off the bush.  Picking it like this stimulates the plant to grow more and it prevents it getting too ‘leggy’. I also freeze the leaves to provide a year round supply.  The plant loses its leaves in winter time and gradually grows back in the Spring.I am not keen on tea made from dried leaves.  However I do prune and dry heaps of lemon verbena leaves to use in my craft work.  

leaves stored in my pantry with the rest of my stored goods

dried leaves stored in repurposed rice sack

For example I make herb pot mats and little fabric clothing protectors for my home and as gifts for family and friends.  I also have a monthly market stall and an etsy shop where I sell them to crafty herb lovers.  

herb pot mat containing lemon verbena and other healing herbs