The fresh crisp lemony smell of lemon verbena is unmistakable.  It’s not everyday you find a plant that you can grow, which can be used as a fine culinary herb and its leaves makes a refreshing and nutritious tea. Sometimes lemon verbena gets confused with lemon balm but they are two different herbs. Lemon verbena is from the verbenaceae family and comes South America and lemon balm is from the mint family and comes from Europe.

Culinary

Cooks love this herb.  However it is difficult to find a good supply on the East Coast.  If you live on the West coast you can find the plants for sale in Green markets.  But if you need a constant supply of fresh herbs then you need to grow your own.  You can grow them outside to start and then bring them inside for the winter.  The tops need to be cut frequently to make them flourish.
Home Remedies
Lemon Verbena was brought to Europe in the 17th century. It was grown for its lemony oil which was used in perfumes and potpouri. However, it was later replaced by lemon oil which was cheaper to produce.
The lemony teas of lemon verbena does not taste like the other lemon family herbs such as lemon balm, lemon mint or lemon gras.  The flavor is much more subtle it is sometimes described as a perfume.
 Help Anxiety
Lemon verbena is undervalued as a medicinal herb. The tea can be used as a gentle sedative . It also helps  with the Digestion digestive properties.  It can also help with anxiety and depression
Margaret Roberts, author of “Herbal Teas for Healthy Living,” says that lemon verbena promotes overall nervous system health and in tea form combats both depression and the ill effects of stress. To take advantage of these properties, pour 1 cup boiling water over 10 dried lemon verbena leaves, allow to steep for five minutes, strain and drink when the brew has cooled sufficiently. If you desire a touch of sweetness, add a small amount of honey to the tea.

Inflammation and Muscle Recovery

In 2016 a clinical trial was conducted with 44 healthy male and female adults between ages 22-50. It was a double blind study. That is  where no one knows who gets the product containing the extract. After 10 days, all the subjects performed exhaustive exercise routine and were assessed .  The scientists found that those people who got the extract  recovered faster from muscle exhaustion  and fatigue than those who got the placebo.  So sipping on some verbena tea after an intense workout would not hurt.