La Herb Luisa It is one of those plants that, it is not known how or why, but many times it ends up on our patio or terrace. It is very decorative, and in addition, it is aromatic. To all this we could add that it is very easy to grow, to the point that it really needs very little to grow.
The question is, how to have it perfect every day of the year? What do you really need to be healthy?
Origin and characteristics of the maría luisa plant
The Hierba Luisa is a plant that receives many names, among others Cedrón del Perú, María Luisa, Hierba citrera, Cidrón, or Verbena olorosa. Scientifically it is known as Aloysia citrodora. As you can see, in some there is a clear reference to the aroma, and you will wonder what part of this plant smells? Right now I tell you: its leaves and flowers, which sprout in summer. They exude a sweet lemon scent that, if you have the opportunity to smell it just once, you will not forget.
It is native to South America, specifically Peru and Chile, and belongs to the botanical family Verbenaceae. It grows to a height of 3m, but that is not a problem if you do not have a lot of space, since can be pruned in spring having it like this in a pot as I will tell you a little below.
Its leaves measure up to 7cm, and are lanceolate, with a smooth or slightly serrated margin, light green on the upper side and with oily glands on the underside. Its flowers bloom in summer, grouped in small terminal panicles of pinkish, whitish or whitish-purplish color. The fruit, formed by two noculae, appears shortly after, towards autumn.
What are your lemon verbena care?
Image - Wikimedia / H. Zell
Location
It must be outside, in full sun or in semi-shade.
Irrigation
It's advisable water every 3 days in summer and every 5-7 days the rest of the year. Try to avoid waterlogging, as its roots do not tolerate it well and you would run the risk of rotting.
When in doubt, check the soil moisture before watering, either by inserting a thin wooden stick (if you take it out you see that almost no soil has adhered to it, water), or by using a digital moisture meter.
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You can take advantage of occasional irrigation (one a month or every 15 days) to pay it during the warm months with organic fertilizersas guano, horse manure or ground horn. In this way, your plant will grow that it will be a pleasure to see it 🙂.
You can also use compound (chemical) fertilizers like this that you can buy here, following the instructions specified on the package, if you are only going to use it as an ornamental plant.
Pruning the lemon verbena
To prune it, you have to cut with pruning shears previously disinfected with pharmacy alcohol those that look weak, sick and have grown too much. You do not need to put on healing paste. Do it in late winter, or in autumn if you live in an area with a mild climate.
Multiplication
Lemon verbena multiplies by seeds and by cuttings in spring. Let's see how to proceed in each case:
Seeds
You have to follow this step by step:
- First, fill a pot about 20cm in diameter or a seedling tray with universal growing medium.
- Then water conscientiously.
- Then, place the seeds on the surface of the substrate, ensuring that they are separated from each other.
- Then cover them with a thin layer of substrate.
- Finally, water again, this time with a sprayer, and place the seedbed outside, in semi-shade.
Thus they will germinate in about two weeks, three at most.
Cuttings
And if you want to have new copies faster, make cuttings about 15cm long and plant them in pots with porous substrate, like black peat mixed with perlite or clay balls in equal parts.
Rusticity
To have a healthy Luisa Herb, we don't really have to complicate ourselves too much. It is a plant suitable for beginners, although it must be taken into account that does not support strong frosts. For this reason, if you live in an area where the temperature drops below -4ºC (the trunk and roots support up to -10ºC, but it loses its leaves until spring), it is better that you protect it indoors in a room with lots of light.
What uses does it have?
Ornamental
It is a very beautiful plant, ideal for growing in a pot or in the garden. It is great even in planters, yes, as long as it is kept pruned.
Medicinal
Medicinal use is undoubtedly the most popular. Have antioxidant, digestive, carminative, sedative, relaxing and antispasmodic properties.
If you want to take advantage of its benefits, you can make infusions with between 5 and 20 grams per liter of tender leaves and / or flowers, but we recommend consulting your doctor first, just in case.
Gastronomy
Its leaves, once dried and chopped, are used in marinades, sauces, and it is even one of the ingredients with which some drinks are made, such as mate in Uruguay and Argentina.
Do you have Herb Luisa at home?
It has been very useful to me, thank you I have Lemongrass But I have questions
I would like to know why this sunny summer got bad, and I had to put it in the yard and if the Fertiberia fertilizer and ecological protector on the leaves would prevent the little worms from eating it again since, if you teach me, I would like to consume it as an infusion. It has flowers at the end of the summer (it lives north of Malaga) and I would like to put it on the street because the patio does not get sun.Can I transplant it to a bigger pot now?
I love your blog and it is very useful to me, I hope you can expand or detail a little more so that our beloved plants are perfect I am looking forward to seeing how you tell us how to do so that from the bone that I planted my already large beautiful fruit medlar I reiterate my congratulations and thanks
Hello Gina.
Thanks for your words.
Well, let's go in parts:
-Summer: perhaps it was watered excessively, or was exposed to direct sun without having acclimatized before. Acclimatization must be done little by little and gradually: expose it for 15 days only 2h / light, the next 15 days 3-4h / light, etc.
-Products: to prevent worms and / or eliminate them, I advise you to treat it with diatomaceous earth, which you can buy in online stores such as Planetarium.es The dose is 30g per liter of water.
-Transplantation in winter: not recommended. It is better to wait for spring.
-Níspero: must be paid from spring to autumn with Organic fertilizerssuch as manure, guano, egg and banana peels, etc.
If you have any further questions, ask.
a greeting
Because the lower part and some leaves of my lemon verbena are yellow, it seems like it does not grow ???
Hi Lizzerh.
If they are the lower leaves, it is normal for them to turn yellow and fall, since the leaves have a limited life expectancy.
If you see that it does not grow, you may need a larger pot if you have not. transplanted never, or compost.
A greeting.
Hello,
We have a lemon verbena here in Granada, and now we have observed that the leaves closest to the trunk have dried and only the farthest ones remain green, do you know the possible cause?
Thanks in advance and best regards
Hello Patxi.
How often do you water it? Now in winter with 1-2 weekly irrigations may be enough, if in your area it does not usually rain in this season.
If you do not have a trace of bugs, it is probably some failure in the irrigation.
If in doubt, contact us 🙂
Greetings.
Thank you very much.
Are there any other aromatic plants that can be complemented with lemon verbena to avoid pests?
Hi July.
En this article We are talking about pest repellent plants. We hope you find it of interest.
Regards!
I have a Herba Luisa in a pot. It grows but does not sustain itself. If someone can guide me how I do to prosper, they can write to me and I will send them photographs
Hello Jorge.
I have edited your comment since you should not put phone numbers online, at least not publicly, for security.
You can send photos of your plant to our Facebook profile. Anyway, do you have it in the sun or in the shade? From what you say, it could be that it lacked light, since it is a plant that has to be either in full sun or at least in semi-shade.
You tell us. Greetings!
because the leaves turn white ... like chalk ... if we cold them between our fingers, this capita comes out .... many leaves will scorch .. thank you very much
Hello Esteban.
Have you checked if it has mealybugs? If they look like cotton balls, they would be cottony bugs, but there are many more type. These can be removed with water and a little diluted soap.
If instead it is a kind of white powder, then we would speak of fungi. And you have to apply fungicide that carries copper.
Greetings.
I have a Luisa Herb, it smells wonderful, I bought it two months ago in a nursery in my town and it already had a tree shape, a woody stem with several more stems along it ending in waves .. I see it two days ago the fallen twigs and the leaves are wrinkling. I have it in a pot outside in semi-shade but it is very hot ... Could it be overwatering? The so woody stem is normal? In the photos that I see it is not that leafy ... Thank you very much .. and greetings.
Hello Ascension.
Let me explain: the woody stem is completely normal. The lemon verbena is a plant that grows like a bush (false shrub). And it needs direct sun, but if it is very hot now in your area you have done well to put it in semi-shade.
Regarding watering, in summer it is advisable to water 3 times a week, more or less; the rest of the year the frequency will be lower. In case of doubt, it is good to check the humidity of the soil, for example with a digital humidity meter or by inserting a wooden stick to the bottom. If you have a plate underneath, you have to think about removing the water that is left after each watering.
Greetings.