Culinary uses
While lemon verbena has a long history of use in South America, the herb wasn’t known in Europe until the Spanish introduced it to England in the 1600s. Since then, the herb has been widely cultivated as a culinary spice and to produce the essential oil of verbena. The leaves and flowering tops are collected to infuse as a tea. In some parts of Europe, particularly in France, lemon verbena tea remains a popular beverage that is served both hot and cold.