Lemon Verbena is a perennial medicinal herb, long valued for its traditional uses. It's hardy across USDA zones 8 through 11 and stands up to deer. Its summer flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies.
Zones
8-11
pH Range
5-7.5
Sun
Full Sun
Days to Maturity
120
Score Lemon Verbena on your exact land.
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What Lemon Verbena is
Lemon Verbena grows as a perennial and reaches around six feet at maturity. It blooms white in summer. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Lemon Verbena
Lemon Verbena grows in USDA zones 8 through 11 and is ready to harvest about 120 days after planting. Lemon Verbena does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground. It needs around 2,000 growing degree days to mature and a growing season of at least 365 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
8-11
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5 - 7.5
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Tolerance
57.2°F
The lowest temperature it shrugs off — below this, expect damage without cover.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Days to Maturity
120 days
Lemon verbena; tender perennial (zone 8+); container elsewhere. Cutting-propagated.
RHS; UFL-IFAS
GDD Required
2000+
Growing degree-days of accumulated warmth it needs to mature — humid summers reach this faster than cool coastal ones.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
6 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
365+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant lemon verbena in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
Lemon Verbena prefers pH 5 to 7.5 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at its peak
Harvest the part you grow lemon verbena for — flower, leaf, or root — at its seasonal peak.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — lemon verbena isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Lemon Verbena offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Before you harvest lemon verbena, know your soil
Anything you grow to eat takes up what's in the ground it grows in, so it's worth knowing what's documented near you before you plant lemon verbena for food. Our free screen reads 9 federal source types across roughly 1.8M indexed sites and shows which sit near your address and which way they drain. It's a screening estimate from public records and proximity — not a soil test — so a nearby record means a soil test is worth it, not that your soil is unsafe.
Where Lemon Verbena thrives
Lemon Verbena is hardy across USDA zones 8 through 11. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 8–11·Where Lemon Verbena growsOpen map →
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Lemon Verbena can grow in these states:
See if Lemon Verbena will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether lemon verbena actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Lemon Verbena in my zone?
Lemon Verbena grows in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 11 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
How long does Lemon Verbena take to grow?
Lemon Verbena is ready to harvest about 120 days after planting (RHS; UFL-IFAS). Your local frost dates and soil temperature move that window earlier or later.
When should you plant Lemon Verbena?
Most growers plant lemon verbena after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, leaving enough of the season for its 365-day frost-free need. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Lemon Verbena need?
Lemon Verbena needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Lemon Verbena need?
Lemon Verbena prefers soil pH 5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Lemon Verbena attract pollinators?
Yes — lemon verbena's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Is Lemon Verbena safe for pets?
Lemon Verbena is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)