Lemon Verbena

Lemon verbena is a perennial shrub of the verbena family, Verbenaceae, native to South America and reaching two to three metres. Its glossy, pointed leaves, about eight centimetres long, release a strong lemon scent when bruised, which is what its specific epithet means, and sprays of tiny purple or white flowers appear in late spring or early summer. The Spanish and Portuguese brought it to Europe in the seventeenth century and grew it for its oil, which perfumers once distilled from the leaves. The leaves flavour fish, poultry, marinades, dressings, jams and puddings, are made into herbal teas and liqueurs, scent potpourri, and serve as a traditional medicine in Latin America. In Cunningham’s magic it belongs to love and purification: it is worn to make oneself attractive, added to love spells and mixtures, used to purify a space or a bath, and mixed into other blends to strengthen them. Hung around the neck, or a little of its juice drunk, it was said to keep the wearer from dreaming. Cunningham lists it as Lippia citriodora, one of several synonyms the plant has carried.