Lemon verbena
Lemon verbena: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Lemon verbena, Aloysia citrodora, is an aromatic shrub in the verbena family, Verbenaceae, native to South America. It is also known as lemon-scented verbena, and older botanical names such as Lippia citriodora may still appear on labels. Its identity distinguishes it from plants in the genus Verbena, often grown among garden flowers. The strongly lemon-scented leaves explain the particular appeal of this shrub in a space devoted to herbs.The plant produces slender, branching shoots with a base that becomes woody. Depending on conditions and age, it can grow beyond the size of a simple clump of herbs. Its leaves are narrow, elongated and pointed, usually a bright shade of green. They gather along the stems and give the shrub a light outline. The contrast between fine branches and narrow foliage contributes to its character even when the plant has no flowers.The leaves release a fresh lemon scent when crushed. This…
