It prefers full sun exposure, high humidity and slightly loamy soil. Its sensitivity to cold causes the falling of leaves from 0 ° C, although the trunks withstand up to -10 ° C.
Regains leaves in spring.
Lemon verbana
Aloysia triphylla
Also known as sweet lime, lemon beebrush, etc it is one of the best teas produced today in our country.
The lemon verbana is a deciduous perennial shrub. It grows to a height of 3 to 7 meters and have a strong lemony scent.
Its leaves are lance-shaped, pale-green and flowers are white or lavender and flourish in August or September.
It is often confused with verbena (Verbena officinalis), belongs to the same family.
Lemon verbana is a flowering plant of the Verbenaceae family, native from South America (Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia and Peru).
It was introduced in Europe by the Spanish and Portuguese in the seventeenth century. In Algarve is called "bela Luisa" and in other areas of Portugal has the common name "verbena".
Plant used in cooking to give a lemony flavor to fish dishes or
poultry, to vegetable marinades, salad, jams, puddings, ice
cream and drinks (refreshing herbal tea), fruit salads and jellies.
It is very common its use in teas for medicinal purposes.
A study conducted at the Medical University of Madrid
found that the antioxidant effect of lemon verbana is equivalent to
that of green tea.
The antiinflammatory and antispasmodic effect on dismenorreias is equivalent to drugs such as indomethacin.
This plant protects against the adverse effects of chemotherapy
(cisplatin) in the bone marrow, exerting a antigenotoxic action due to
its antioxidant effect. Based on a study published in Toxicology Letters, in 2004, this should
be advised to cancer patients who are receiving this treatment.
Beneficial for the digestive system may be used before meals to
increase appetite or during the same, to aid digestion, preventing
intestinal gas and cramping.
Regulates dismenorreias (painful menstruations) and treats urinary infections.
Relaxes the nervous system, improves sleep, reduces migraines and high blood pressure.
Its essential oil can also be used to make perfumes and insect repellent.