Lemon Verbena
Herbal infusion
4.5/5 · FindMeTea score
About this tea
Lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora), known in much of Latin America as cedrón, is a strikingly aromatic herbal tisane — not a true tea — native to South America and famous for the brightest, cleanest lemon aroma of any herb. Its essential oil is dominated by citral (a mix of geranial and neral), supported by limonene. The infusion is pale gold and exceptionally clean, with notes of fresh lemon zest, light grass, and a touch of mint. It is the after-dinner cup of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, and in Europe its leaf carries an official herbal monograph from the European Medicines Agency — what that does and does not mean is spelled out below.
How to brew: 95°C, 5 min, 2 g per cup.
Caffeine
None
How to brew
Flavor notes
citrusy, fresh, aromatic
Often associated with
Digestive comfort, Relaxation
Best time to enjoy
After a meal, Evening
Tags
Where to find it in United States
Where to find it in United StatesNear Columbus
- North Market SpicesOther Herbal infusion
Columbus · North Market, downtown
Spearmint, Crushed Leaves
from US$ 3.85· 1 oz
In storeOnline59 Spruce Street, Columbus, OH 43215See the shop → - Posh Teatime Co.Other Herbal infusion
Columbus · Franklinton, West Broad Street
Farmer's Market Fruit Blend
from US$ 16.95· 4 oz
In storeOnline1273 W Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43222See the shop → - Sencha Tea BarThis tea
Minneapolis · Uptown (also Madison, WI)
Lemon Verbena
from US$ 3.99· 2 oz
In storeOnline2601 Hennepin Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408See the shop → - Harney & SonsThis tea
New York · SoHo (ships nationwide)
Verveine / Lemon Verbena (loose, 1 oz tin)
US$ 13· 1 oz
In storeOnline433 Broome StreetSee the shop → - This tea
Caputo's Market & Deli
Salt Lake City · Downtown (Broadway)
Daphnis and Chloe Our Lemon Verbena Herbal Tea, 10g
US$ 10· 10 g
In storeOnline314 W Broadway (300 S), Salt Lake City, UT 84101Website: caputos.com
Origin & Production
Lemon verbena is native to western South America — Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, and Bolivia — where it grows as a deciduous shrub up to 3 meters tall, with narrow, pointed leaves that release an intense lemon aroma when brushed. Spanish colonists carried it to Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, where it became a beloved garden plant in Spain, southern France, and Morocco. Today important commercial cultivation areas include Argentina, Chile, Morocco, and the south of France, with high-quality essential oil also distilled in Italy and Spain.
Production process
Cultivation
Lemon verbena is propagated from cuttings rather than seed for varietal consistency. The shrub prefers full sun, well-drained soil, and warm climates; in colder regions it is grown in pots and overwintered indoors.
Hand harvest
Leaves are picked in summer — most fragrant just before flowering — typically in the morning after the dew has evaporated, when citral concentration is at its peak.
Shade-drying
Fresh leaves are spread in thin layers in ventilated shade and dried slowly at temperatures below 35°C to preserve the volatile citral and limonene that define the herb's lemon character.
Leaf separation
Once fully dried, leaves are stripped from the woody stems, gently rubbed to break large pieces, and sieved to remove stem fragments. Premium grade keeps long, intact leaves with a strong scent.
Packaging
Dried leaves are packaged in airtight, light-protected containers — lemon verbena's bright aroma fades quickly when exposed to light, heat, or moisture, so good storage is essential.
- Free
- Sundays
- 2 min
Drink better tea, one Sunday at a time.
A fact for the table·A shop worth the trip·A better cup·Ritual & kit of the week·Tea fun facts
History & Tradition
Lemon verbena travelled from the Andean foothills of South America to the imperial gardens of Spain, the kitchens of southern France, and the apothecaries of modern Europe over the course of just a few centuries.
Indigenous use
Indigenous peoples of the Andean foothills of present-day Argentina, Chile, and Peru brewed lemon verbena leaves as an aromatic infusion long before European contact.
Introduction to Europe
Spanish botanists brought lemon verbena to Europe in the 18th century. It quickly became fashionable in the gardens of Spanish royalty — the species was named Aloysia in honour of María Luisa of Parma, queen consort of Charles IV of Spain.
Formal description
The plant was formally described in European botanical literature under the genus Aloysia (later Aloysia citrodora), separating it from the European Verbena genus.
Provençal perfumery
Lemon verbena became a favourite of southern French perfumers and confiseurs, used for liqueurs, distillates, and the famous 'verveine' herbal water sold across the region.
European Union herbal monograph
The European Medicines Agency's Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products adopted a European Union herbal monograph on lemon verbena leaf (Aloysia citrodora folium), recognizing it as a traditional herbal medicinal product on the basis of long-standing use.
What's in the cup
A traditional herbal product, by Europe's medicines agency
The European Medicines Agency's Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products lists lemon verbena leaf as a traditional herbal medicinal product for the relief of mild symptoms of mental stress and to aid sleep, and for the symptomatic treatment of mild gastrointestinal complaints including bloating and flatulence — a status it grants exclusively on the basis of long-standing use, not of clinical trials. The same monograph does not recommend it for children, for lack of data, nor during pregnancy or breastfeeding; it records no known undesirable effects and no reported interactions, and notes that it may impair the ability to drive. This isn't medical advice — if you have a specific condition, check with a healthcare provider.
Source: EMA/HMPC — European Union herbal monograph on Aloysia citrodora folium (2021)
No caffeine at all
Cedrón is level 0 on our caffeine scale: there is no Camellia sinensis in the cup, only the dried leaves of a South American shrub. That is why our catalog lists it after meals and at night, and why in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay it is the pot that comes out when dinner is over.
Lemon without the lemon
The scent is citral, the same aromatic that gives lemon peel its smell, with limonene behind it; the leaf carries it so strongly that a dried pinch can perfume a kitchen. Our catalog describes the cup as citrus, fresh and aromatic: pale gold, clean, and sweet enough on its own that honey is a choice, not a need.
How to brew it
Our catalog brews cedrón at 95 °C for 5 minutes with 2 g per cup. Cover the cup while it steeps: the volatile oils that carry the lemon leave with the steam, and a saucer on top keeps them in. Fresh leaves give the brightest cup; dried ones keep well if stored away from light.
The sobremesa cup, by custom
In Argentina, Chile and Uruguay cedrón closes dinner the way espresso does in Italy; in the south of France the same leaf is the verveine that ends a meal. Both are customs older than any study, and that is how we list it: a pale, lemon-scented, caffeine-free cup for the end of the evening, poured for its scent and its custom, not for anything it does.
This isn't medical advice. If you have a specific condition, or you are pregnant or taking medication, check with a healthcare provider.
- Free
- Sundays
- 2 min
Drink better tea, one Sunday at a time.
A fact for the table·A shop worth the trip·A better cup·Ritual & kit of the week·Brew better
Grades & Varieties
Whole leaf — Argentine cedrón
Long, narrow leaves shade-dried in Mendoza, San Juan, or Córdoba. Produces an intensely lemony infusion with a clean, almost candied citrus note — the classic Argentine sobremesa tisane.
Best for
- ✓After-meal infusion
- ✓Iced lemon verbena tea
- ✓Mate con cedrón blend
Cut & sifted — culinary grade
Finer cuts and broken leaf used in tea bags, herbal blends, and culinary infusions. Quick-extracting with a strong, bright lemon aroma, though slightly less complex than the whole leaf.
Best for
- ✓Daily tea bags
- ✓Sorbets, syrups, and desserts
- ✓Iced summer infusions
Provençal verveine
Selected long-leaf lemon verbena grown in the south of France, often sold under the name 'verveine'. Prized for its high citral content and used both as a tisane and in the famous Verveine du Velay liqueur.
Best for
- ✓Premium loose-leaf evening tisane
- ✓Liqueurs and gourmet blends
- ✓Floral-herbal pairings
Did you know?
Lemon verbena was so prized in 18th-century Spain that the species was named Aloysia in honour of María Luisa of Parma, queen consort of Charles IV — making it one of the few medicinal herbs named after a queen.
Foods with this tea
What to Eat with Lemon Verbena Tea
Cedrón's bright lemon-citrus aroma pairs naturally with grilled fish, light summer salads, fresh berries, and creamy after-dinner desserts.
Grilled Sea Bass with Cedrón Butter and Lemon
A whole sea bass grilled until crisp-skinned and basted with a fragrant lemon verbena and garlic butter—the cleanest, brightest weeknight dinner.
Cedrón Panna Cotta with Macerated Berries
A silky vanilla-and-cedrón panna cotta topped with strawberries and raspberries macerated in lemon and sugar—elegant, simple, and intensely aromatic.
- Free
- Sundays
- 2 min
Drink better tea, one Sunday at a time.
A fact for the table·A shop worth the trip·A better cup·Ritual & kit of the week·Tea recipes & drinks
Drinks with this tea
Cedrón with Lemon Zest and Honey
Lemon verbena steeped at 95°C under a lid with a strip of fresh lemon zest and a spoon of honey: pale, intensely lemony and caffeine-free — the classic after-dinner cup in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.
Iced Cedrón Mint Refresher
Cold-brewed cedrón with fresh mint, cucumber, and a splash of lime—a spa-water-grade iced refresher that's clean, herbal, and absurdly refreshing.
Cedrón Pisco Sour
A South American pisco sour with pisco infused in fresh cedrón leaves—the classic foam-topped cocktail elevated by intense lemon-verbena aromatics.