This month the spotlight is on the wonderful and often overlooked herb, lemon verbena. This incredibly fragrant plant produces a wonderfully clean and sunny brew that is perfect for after a meal or as a refreshing palate cleanser.

Lemon verbena, Latin name Aloysia Citrodora, is a woody shrub that originally hails from South America, where it grows up to three metres tall. The plant is also known as lemon beebrush due to the popularity of its lilac flowers with bees. The leaves emit a wonderfully lemony aroma when bruised, hence the Latin epithet citrodora, meaning lemon scented.

Lemon verbena has likely been used for millennia and has a long history of use in traditional medicine, possibly originating with the Incas. It was first brought to Europe by Spanish and Portuguese explorers in the 17th century and was cultivated for its lemon scented essential oil. It is still cultivated for its oil but is also popular as a healthy and refreshing tisane.

It is thought that the Incas discovered the many health benefits of lemon verbena, and many of these traditional uses and benefits have since been validated through studies. It contains high levels of polyphenols that are antioxidant rich, known to reduce the damage done by free radicals in the body. It boosts immunity and is also an appetite suppressant, stopping us from feeling hungry between meals, as well as helping to burn fat and regulate metabolism.

One of lemon verbena’s most easily perceived benefits is the positive effect on our mood. Taking the time for a hot drink is a relaxing and indulgent experience, and even more so with lemon verbena as studies have shown that it has a calming effect that reduces stress and anxiety, and studies have shown evidence that consumption of this caffeine free tisane before bed improves sleep. When combined with its natural properties that aid digestion, it makes this the perfect after dinner drink.

We use premium leaves for our Verbena tisane, carefully dried before being preserved for freshness – and that’s it. The resulting brew is a pale green yellow cup with a heady aroma of lemon, eucalyptus and a hint of mint. The taste is sweet and clean with a refreshing finish. Why not try it as an iced tea on a hot day for a healthy and cooling drink.

 

verbena tasting notes