Lemon Verbena Products
Lemon Verbena is a South American plant of the utmost value being very popular throughout the Victorian period. Utilised in many ways for its strong lemony smell, Indigo Herbs has acquired a quality source of this plant that we are offering in a pure and unadulterated form as Lemon Verbena Leaf Tea.
Lippia citriodora originates from South America where it was first publicly discovered by a French botanist named Philibert Commerson in 1767. Lemon Verbena was already being exported in large qualities by the Spanish but hadn’t officially been made public by any botanical journals until Commerson. It wasn’t until 1797 that two Spanish professors officially named Lemon Verbena, Aloysia citrodora, Hierba de la Princesa, in honour of Maria Louisa of Parma, wife of Infante Carlos de Borbon. As the plant spread throughout Europe, the Victorians favoured the scent and its revitalising properties. Victorian women would stow a leaf of the plant in their handkerchiefs during the hot summer months to inhale and freshen the senses. In South America the plant has always been used for digestive complaints and calming the nervous system, while in Europe the essential oil became more popular as well as a flavouring to meat and other culinary dishes.
Aloysia citriodora or Lippia citriodora is a tropical perennial shrub belonging to the family Verbenaceae. The plants natural habitat is Argentina and Chile. Growth can reach more than 3 metres high in sub-tropical climates. Cultivated in a greenhouse as a potted Lemon Verbena can reach a height of about 25.4 cm. The leaves are thin, long and pointed, with green colour that can sometimes pass as yellowish. Flowers are usually white and bloom in spears.
