Lemon verbena

Lemon verbena: plant 60 cm (24 in) apart in the row and 90 cm (35 in) between rows, 1 plant per 4 squares. No known bad neighbours.

Key facts

Spacing in the row	60 cm (24 in)
Between rows	90 cm (35 in)
In a 30 cm (1 ft) square	1 plant per 4 squares
Sun	Full sun, 6–8 hours a day
Root depth	40 cm (16 in)
Height when grown	120 cm (47 in)
Crop rotation group	Herbs, flowers and perennials
Support	None needed

How it is started	From cuttings, from a bought plant
Cuttings per planting hole	3
When to plant	Indoors 6 weeks before the last frost; outdoors after the last frost; soil at least 12 °C

Takes transplanting	Easily
Hardening off	7–10 days
Life cycle	Tender perennial, grown as an annual where it freezes
Cold tolerance	Tender, hurt by frost
Soil	Light, sandy, free draining, pH 6–7.5
In a pot	20 L, 35 cm (13.8 in)
Watering	Water when the soil is dry two fingers down
Feeding	Little; at planting
Support and training	None needed; pinch the tips

Days to first harvest	120–180 days, from planting
Ready when	The leaves are big enough to use
Harvest window	Picked again and again, 16–24 weeks
Typical yield	0.2–0.6 kg per plant
Botanical family	Verbenaceae
Watch out for	Spider mites, whitefly
First crop after	1–2 years
Pollination	Fruits on its own

Open the free planner, drop Lemon verbena onto a bed and see how many plants fit.

Plant out	May
Harvest	Jun–Oct

My country Last spring frost where I live

Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.

Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.

Crops that need about the same room and care, from another family.