A beautiful lemon sorbet scented herb perfect for many culinary dishes and chilled summer drinks. It is not completely winter hardy and may need additional protection in colder areas of the UK or very cold winters. 9x9cm pot (8cm depth)
Description
- Excellent for tea
- Dries well for winter use
- Excellent culinary herb
- Aromatic
A native of South America and introduced by the Spanish to Europe, and has been cultivated since the seventeenth century for its oil. The leaves are strongly lemon scented and used in all manner of culinary dishes, but especially for deserts like sorbets and ice cream and for teas which are excellent chilled and served with ice in summer. The leaves hold both their scent and taste really well once dried for winter use.
Plant Care
- Height: 60-100cm
- Type: Half hardy
- Aspect: Sun
- Soil: Any/alkaline
- Flower colour: Purple/mauve
- Flowering period: July - August
Half-hardy lemon verbena does not always survive our UK winters outside, but a little protection in a greenhouse or cold frame, or even fleecing containers is usually sufficient. In autumn the leaves generally fall off and there are just bare stems remaining which I would leave in situ until spring when they can be cut back to abut 4cm. The most important thing to remember about verbena is its need for warmth in spring before it begins to shoot, patience is the key here, there has been many a healthy plant thrown away in mid-April when other plants are growing away nicely but there is no sign of life on the verbena front – give it time.