Uses for Lemon Verbena Flowers

Verbena blossoms can be white, pink or lilac in color.Moss Verbena image by mpetr37349 from Fotolia.com

Lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla) grows to an average height of 15 inches. It originated in South America, where it can be found growing wild along roadsides. The scent was initially used in the production of perfumes back in the 1800s. Today, lemon verbena scent, essential oils, leaves, stems or flowers are used for cooking, medicinal purposes and a variety of products.

Culinary Uses

Lemon verbena is often used in the preparation of many cold dishes, adding a lemon-lime fruity taste. The Spaniards originally brought this plant to Europe and the Europeans have been cultivating it for culinary uses ever since.

This herb is frequently used to flavor salad dressings, marinades, soups, jams, puddings, desserts and assorted fruit-based drinks. It makes a refreshing ice tea when used with mint. The leaves are tough and leathery; therefore they are used for flavoring and then removed in many recipes. Lemon verbena can be used in place of any recipes calling for lemon zest and finely chopped, dried leaves add zip to carrot cake or zucchini and banana breads.

Lemon verbena is used to treat many medicinal purposes; seek professional services before using as a treatment. Taken internally it is used to treat headaches, exhaustion, fevers, depression, some gall bladder problems and as a diuretic.

Flowering stems and leaves are antibacterial, astringent, stimulant and anticoagulant. It is often used externally in the treatment of eczema, sores and minor injuries. According to Plants For A Future website, this plant has been used in the treatment of tumors and they have received remarkable results. However, no definite claims are attributable till further testing.

Herbs are used in many forms--dried leaves, stems or flowers--to scent perfumes, sachets and potpourri. Oils from lemon verbena are extracted through a distillation process to form essential oils for medicinal treatments, air fresheners, massage and bath oils.

Stems, leaves and flowers of lemon verbena, mints, scented geraniums, lavender or lemon balm are the best herbs to dry and make into potpourri or sachets. Potpourri is a blending of flowers, herbs and spices with the addition of essential oils.

Aromatherapy, herb wreaths, candles, soaps, incense, perfumes and hair rinse can all be made using the scent of lemon verbena in the form of fresh or dried flowers, dried stems, leaves or essential oil.

Lemon verbena prefers well-drained, moist soil with plenty of sunshine, which produces healthy leaves and flowers for use in many natural products. It is a deciduous shrub that has pointed leaves and produces blooms of white, pink or lilac depending upon growing conditions.

They are grown from seed and can live in poor conditions and still survive after being neglected. Wildlife, moths, bees and butterflies are all attracted to this self-fertile plant. In addition to tolerating neglect, it is not frost tender like so many other plants are.