Article at a Glance
- Lemon verbena is a fragrant medicinal herb that is known to calm anxiety, clear congestion, and ease joint pain
- Thriving in rich soil with plenty of sunlight, lemon verbena grows worldwide in warm, mild climates
- Alternatives to lemon verbena include Nicole's Apothecary Anxiety & Stress Blend, available at NicolesApothecary.com
Health Benefits of Lemon Verbena: A Fragrant Herb That Conquers Anxiety, Pain, and Much More
Oh, how I love lemon verbena. I will often crush the leaves in my hand and enjoy its delightful fragrance and flavor. It's one of those herbs that immediately lifts your spirit. It's highly aromatic with a lemony scent. It's not native to North America or Europe, but it's easily cultivated in the garden under the right conditions and can be found growing worldwide. I recommend seeking out this wonderful herb for digestive issues, anxiety, congestion, arthritis, and more.
Basic Identification
Lemon verbena is easy to identify by its scent and plant growth. In good soil, it can grow 6 to 15 feet (1.8 m to 4.5 m). The leaves are thin and pointed — about 3 to 4 inches (7.5 cm to 10 cm) in length. They are shiny and coarse to the touch. The lovely flowers are a shade of light purple and clustered on the stem. They appear throughout summer.
Where Does Lemon Verbena Grow?
Lemon verbena is native to South America. The Spanish and Portuguese brought the plant to Europe in the 1600s, and it's now cultivated around the world — including the western and southern United States, Asia, Australia, and North Africa. Lemon verbena thrives in rich soil with plenty of sunlight.
Harvesting Lemon Verbena
I collect the leaves throughout the year, but my preference is to pick as many leaves as possible before the plant blooms. They are then dried for later use and are equally beneficial as fresh.
Edible Uses of Lemon Verbena
With a lemony, mild flavor, lemon verbena is a delicious addition to salads, rice dishes, poultry and fish, and salad dressings. It also makes a wonderful herbal tea.
Recipe: Lemon Verbena Tincture
Ingredients: Fresh Lemon Verbena leaves and flowers (chopped), 80 proof vodka or other drinking alcohol, and a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Method: Add the lemon verbena to the jar, packing it about three-quarters full. Pour the vodka over the leaves and fill the jar, making sure all the leaves are covered. Cap the jar tightly and place it in a cool, dark place, such as a cupboard. Let the tincture steep for 6 to 8 weeks, shaking the jar daily. Pour the alcohol through a fine mesh sieve or a coffee filter to remove all the plant material. Store the tincture in a cool, dark cupboard for up to 7 years.
Medicinal Uses: Can lemon verbena calm anxiety?
The leaves and flowers can both be used medicinally as an herbal tea and externally as a poultice, oil, or wash. It is well-known as a potent herbal medicine to calm anxiety. More on this below.
Full Spectrum Anxiety & Stress Relief
Nicole's Apothecary Anxiety & Stress Blend is formulated with clinically-informed adaptogens, calming nervines, and supportive botanicals for cognitive health to help the body adapt to stress, soothe the nervous system, and restore mental balance.
Soothe Anxiety. Ease Depression. Relieve Stress.
Here are my top 3 uses for Lemon Verbena:
Soothes Anxiety and Stress. Lemon verbena is an outstanding nervine. It calms the nervous system, lifts the mood, and eases stress.
Eases Arthritis, Joint Pain, Bursitis. An effective remedy for joint pain, lemon verbena tea builds in effectiveness over two to three months. People who take the tea twice daily report that pain gradually lessens with significant improvement.
Clears Bronchial Congestion. Lemon verbena tea is an excellent expectorant that loosens phlegm and relaxes the system.
Dive Deeper into Herbal Medicine
Discover the full healing potential of Lemon Verbena with my book, The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies: The Healing Power of Plant Medicine.
This essential guide offers detailed harvesting advice with full-color photos for boneset and many other easily accessible plants. Learn how to craft your own tinctures, salves, decoctions, infusions, and more at home with this herbal resource.
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Safety
Do not use lemon verbena before driving, as it has a mild sedative effect.
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Nicole Apelian
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Anxiety & Stress Tincture
