What Does Lemon Verbena Attract?

Spider mites and whiteflies adore lemon verbena. Some gardeners won’t grow it because they feel this herb attracts those pests. Avoid carrying these pests indoors by allowing plants to stay outdoors until leaves drop.

What can I plant next to lemon verbena?

Plants that thrive in similar conditions are good companions for lemon verbena, for example, liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), some species of St. John’s wort (Hypericum) or lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). Lemon verbena can also be planted together with coriander (Coriandrum sativum) or beebalms (Monarda).

Where is the best place to plant lemon verbena?

full sun
Lemon verbena prefers full sun and free-draining soil that has been amended with compost. Heavy clay or overly wet soils will cause the roots to rot. Plant it near the edge of the bed where you’ll be apt to brush by the foliage, causing the leaves to release some of their lemony scent.

What is lemon verbena plant good for?

Lemon verbena is used for digestive disorders including indigestion, gas, colic, diarrhea, and constipation. It is also used for agitation, joint pain, trouble sleeping (insomnia), asthma, colds, fever, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, skin conditions, and chills.

What is the scent of lemon verbena?

citrus scent
The oil produced by the verbena plant is typically yellow or green, and offers a fruity, citrus scent, hence its common epithet, lemon verbena.

Does lemon verbena spread?

If you’re growing lemon verbena in a container, choose one at least 12 inches in diameter to give roots room to spread and fill it with a premium potting mix such as Miracle-Gro® Potting Mix. A larger pot also insulates roots somewhat against soil temperature changes.

Is lemon verbena an invasive plant?

Like Verbena, Lemon balm also has a reputation, this time for being invasive, and it’s often bracketed with mint on that score. However, it spreads by seed, not runner, so cut the flower heads off before they seed to reduce your weeding.

Is lemon verbena toxic to dogs?

While some species of the verbena family, such as lantana, are considered toxic to dogs, lemon verbena is generally safe unless your dog consumes large amounts. Known interactions can include kidney irritation, so you may want to reconsider planting lemon verbena if your dog is an avid chewer with kidney problems.

Does lemon verbena attract bees?

In the garden, this herb plant should grow everywhere fragrant flowers and scented leaves are appreciated. Lemon verbena is a nectar plant for bees and butterflies.

Does lemon verbena come back every year?

Lemon verbena (Aloysia citriodora) is a woody shrub, and its narrow glossy leaves grow quickly in hot summer weather, replenishing as you harvest throughout the growing season.

Is lemon verbena toxic to humans?

and Warnings. When taken by mouth: Lemon verbena is LIKELY SAFE for most people when consumed in amounts found in alcoholic beverages. It is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken in appropriate amounts as a medicine, short-term. It can cause skin irritation (dermatitis) in some people.

Is verbena toxic to humans?

Verbena plants are not poisonous to people. The plants are generally safe, although some varieties are toxic to animals. For instance, purple top verbena is toxic to animals, but most trailing types are safe.

Does lemon verbena make you sleepy?

May improve sleep quality
One study in 100 people with insomnia demonstrated that taking 10 mL of a lemon verbena syrup before bedtime significantly improved their ability to fall asleep, total sleep time, sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness, compared with those in a placebo group ( 16 ).

What is the difference between verbena and lemon verbena?

Are Verbena and Lemon Verbena Different? In short, lemon verbena is one of many plants that could be called a verbena. Around 1,200 species are in the Verbenaceae, or verbena plant family. The ones most commonly called verbenas are the roughly 250 species in the genus Verbena.

Is lemon verbena used as a perfume?

Add a little lemon verbena to a fragrance, and it delivers a brisk, pure, floral-citrus aroma. The leaves are deliciously lemony and fresh when rubbed, and give a cleanness and ‘uplifting’ freshness to scents.

Is lemon verbena good for the skin?

Additionally, the anti-inflammatory properties of lemon verbena can be useful for reducing certain skin conditions. For example, issues with eczema may be reduced by using this cosmetic herb. Also, this cosmetic herb has been found to be able to fight off staph skin infections.

Should you cut back lemon verbena?

Lemon verbena is a shrubby herb that grows like crazy with very little help. However, cutting back lemon verbena every so often keeps the plant neat and prevents a leggy, spindly appearance.

How big does a lemon verbena get?

Lemon verbena offers a sweet lemon flavor that’s refreshing in tea or desserts and useful for seasoning meat dishes. The plant is a beauty in the landscape, forming an elegant shrub 6 feet tall by 8 feet wide.

Should verbena be cut back?

Verbena can be pruned throughout the growing season to maintain a consistent look. Do not cut back more than one-third of the plant. Verbena can recover from a slight trim, but removing more could stunt the growth. Clean your pruning shears or scissors before and after use to prevent the spread of bacteria or fungus.

Will lemon verbena survive winter?

Rosemary, lemon verbena, and a few other perennial herbs are not reliably winter hardy. Extra winter protection can be provided by cutting plants back to within a couple inches of the ground after the first hard frost and covering the remaining stub with soil.

What grows well with verbena?

Some good companion plants for verbena that repel spider mites are dill, cilantro, and garlic. If you want to stick to flowers in your flower bed, however, mums and shasta daisies are also good verbena companions because of their ability to drive spider mites away and draw in their predators.