Page 102 - Lost Book Remedies

The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies

Lemon Verbena,

Aloysia triphylla

Oh, how I love lemon verbena. I love to crush a stalk in
my hand and breathe in the fragrance and flavor. It im-
mediately lifts my mood and soothes away the stresses
of the day. The herb is highly aromatic with an herba-
ceous lemony scent. It is in the Verbenaceae (Verbena)
Family. It is not native but is easily cultivated in the
garden.

Identification: Lemon verbena is readily identified
by its scent and the plant growth. It grows to a height
of 6 to 15 feet (1.8m to 4.5m) in good soil. It has thin,
pointed leaves that are about 3 to 4 inches (7.5 cm to
10 cm) in length. The leaves are shiny and coarse to the
touch. The flowers are light purple and grouped on the
stems. They appear throughout the summer. bacteria. For this purpose, use Lemon Verbena Leaf
Tincture made with 80 proof alcohol, applied to the
Edible Use: Lemon verbena leaves are useful as a skin. When the extraction is not available, a poultice of
flavoring or as an addition to salads. It has a mild freshly crushed lemon verbena is applied (note that
lemon flavor. Usnea also works well on Staphylococcus).
Medicinal Use: Use lemon verbena leaves and Arthritis, Bursitis, and Joint Pain: Peoples
flowers internally in the form of an herbal tea and ex- with joint pain find significant relief from taking lemon
ternally as a poultice, oil, or wash. verbena tea. It takes time for the effects to build, but
over a period of two to three months of taking the tea
Bronchial Congestion: Use a tea made from twice daily, people report that joint pain is gradually
lemon verbena to treat bronchial and nasal congestion. reduced and significant improvement is gained.
It loosens phlegm,
acts as an expecto- Digestive Issues: Try Lemon Verbena Tea for di-
rant, and calms gestive problems as it has a soothing effect on the di-
the system. Do not gestive system. It relieves indigestion and calms the
use lemon verbena stomach and intestinal spasms to relieve cramping and
tea before driving bloating. Try drinking a cup of tea after meals.
or operating heavy Calms Anxiety: For severe anxiety, try Lemon Ver-
machinery as it
has a mild sedative bena Tea. It soothes the nervous system, relieves
stress, and lifts the mood.
effect.
Harvesting: Lemon verbena likes rich soil and
Staph Infec- plenty of sunlight. I collect the leaves throughout the
tions of the year, but I prefer to pick as many as possible before the
Skin: Staph in- herb blooms. Extra leaves are dried for future use and
fections can be- are equally beneficial in dried form.
come serious
quickly if left un- Recipes. Lemon Verbena Tea: 1/4 cup lemon
treated. It pre- verbena leaves, fresh and crushed, 2 cups boiling wa-
Lemon Verbena, H. Zell, CC by SA 3.0 vents the infection ter. Pour the boiling water over the herb and allow it to
from spreading and kills the existing steep for 5 to 8 minutes. Strain and Drink 1 cup.

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