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Aloysia citrodora - Lemon verbena
Lemon verbena is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family Verbenaceae, native to western South America. Common names include Aloysia citrodora and lemon beebrush. It was brought to Europe by the Spanish and the Portuguese in the 17th century and cultivated for its oil.[1]
Description
Lemon verbena is a perennial shrub or subshrub growing to 2–3 m high. The 8-cm-long, glossy, pointed leaves are slightly rough to the touch and emit a powerful scent reminiscent of lemon when bruised (hence the Latin specific epithet citrodora—lemon-scented).[4]
Sprays of tiny purple or white flowers appear in late spring or early summer. It is sensitive to cold, losing leaves at temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F), although the wood is hardy to −10 °C (14 °F).[5] Due to its many culinary uses, it is widely listed and marketed as a plant for the herb garden.[2]
Uses
- Lemon verbena leaves are used to add a lemon flavor to fish and poultry dishes, vegetable marinades, salad dressings, jams, puddings, Greek yogurt and beverages.
- It also is used to make herbal teas, or added to standard tea in place of actual lemon
- When making teas, it is said to help with muscle spasms, stomach pain, menstrual cramping, anxiety, and a fever reducer.
- Moderate antioxidant supplementation with lemon verbena extract protects neutrophils against oxidative damage, decreasing the signs of muscular damage in chronic running exercise without blocking the cellular adaptation to exercise.
