ALL ABOUT LUIZA TEA - LEMON VERBENA
by Paul Whitmer

What do Scarlett O'Hara's mother and Laura Ingalls Wilder have in common?
It would seem like nothing besides both being women who lived in 19th century America.
However, the sweet, unassuming Laura Ingalls, 
who grew up on the northern prairie, did have something in common with Margaret Mitchell's
wealthy, southern matron. Both of these women had a favorite fragrance,
and that was lemon verbena. Even with all the renewed interest in herbs,
lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla) still doesn't seem to draw much attention.
Perhaps it's because it isn't a classic culinary herb like basil or sage,
or maybe because its medicinal values are limited.
This is unfortunate, because lemon verbena is a great asset to any herb garden.

Lemon verbena is a deciduous shrub native to South America, where it grows 10 to 15 feet tall.
It has long, pointed, light green leaves. When in bloom, its tiny flowers are a light lavender color. 
But lemon verbena's greatest attraction is its strong lemon scent and taste. 
In my opinion, lemon verbena has the truest lemon flavor of all the lemon herbs.

Although primarily used for tea, lemon verbena can also be used in cooking
wherever you want a touch of lemon flavor. It adds interest to steamed rice
and is often used in fruit salads, pudding, homemade ice cream and other confections.

Lemon verbena is also used for its sweet fragrance. The long leaves dry well
and are a main ingredient in sachets, potpourris and herb pillows. Cosmetically,
lemon verbena is used to scent bath water, homemade creams and lotions.
It can be steeped in vinegar (cider or white wine) to freshen and soften skin.

Medicinally, lemon verbena is said to aid digestion and have a tonic effect on the stomach. 
It is also said to reduce fevers and nasal congestion. A hot cup of lemon verbena tea has a mild sedative effect.