Verbena

What do lemon verbena leaves contain?

The character of lemon verbena comes from two families of compounds naturally present in its leaves:

Lemon verbena tea: a French tradition

In France, lemon verbena is traditionally enjoyed as an infusion, after dinner or in the evening. Its dried leaves are perfectly good on their own, but they are often combined with lime blossom, chamomile, mint or citrus fruit. It also flavours a famous liqueur, Verveine du Velay, produced in Le Puy-en-Velay.

In cooking, a few fresh leaves flavour custards, sorbets, syrups or fruit salads. Not to be confused with common vervain (Verbena officinalis), a herbaceous plant with no lemony scent, nor with certain tropical plants of the genus Lippia, sometimes called “verbenas”.

Lemon verbena benefits: what does the science say?

Researchers are mainly interested in the composition of lemon verbena: how its essential oil varies with origin and harvest, and the nature of polyphenols such as verbascoside.

To date, no health claim relating to lemon verbena is authorised in the European Union. This research therefore does not allow any particular effect to be attributed to a herbal tea or a product containing it.

How to choose a lemon verbena tea?

Our lemon verbena herbal teas and products