Though native to South America (Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia, Peru), Lemon Verbena has been known in Europe since the 1600s. It was known and even named, but was not scientifically published authoritatively until the late 1700s. Once you know this plant it is easy to see why it would be one of the first brought back from these expeditions - the fragrant foliage (quite pleasantly lemon) endears even the most ambivalent.
The French perfume industry grows this plant
en masse in Grasse, Cannes, Antibes, Nice, as well as some cooler winter areas (it is hardy to -5°C [23°F], using it for tea, flavorings, and scent (they make a wonderfully refreshing soap). The fragrant of the leaves is most intense if gathered when the plant is in flower and lasts very well when dried (in cool shade), making it a useful addition to potpourris.
This is a lax shrub, often leaning or spilling other its neighbors. Espalier is a good treatment, as is a thorough pruning back each year as the new shoots start to break from the naked stems (it is fully deciduous and late to start growing in spring). While not a particularly shapely plant, it is none-the-less a good candidate to plant close to a path (or spilling over support nearby) so that visitors will come in direct contact with the fragrant leaves. Fairly tolerant of a variety of growing conditions, it actually doesn't mind heavy soil - probably because it likes a bit more water than other plants (it can suffer leaf drop if too dry).
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