A very aromatic herb with an essential oil content up to 4% and with little, light yellow flowers. The dried or fresh lightly lemon flavoured leaves are often used as tea. The fresh leaves can be used to give a slight lemon flavour to beverages, sauces, fruit salads or fruit juices. It has a good resistance against mildew. This hardy perennial can get up to 25-30 cm tall.
Outdoor sowing: April - May
Germination: 14 - 21 days
Germination temp.: 18 - 20°C
Sowing depth: ½ tot 1 cm
Planting distance: 25 cm
Plant position: sunny - half shade
Days till harvest: in the 2nd year after sowing
Harvest period: May - October
Sow in the garden from April, when there is no chance of night frost. Cover the seeds with about 1 cm of sowing soil. Sow in a sheltered, sunny spot with some shade from early afternoon. Keep well moist and weed-free.
Once large enough to handle, thin out the seedlings to 25 cm. This perennial plant can overwinter very well outdoors in a sheltered place.
This plant can be used to make a refreshing herbal tea, among other things. The leaves and flowers can be used fresh or dried. Dry the leaves in a shady place with good ventilation. For instance outside under a shelter, in a shed or inside the house. Cut whole branches from the plant, possibly with flowers attached. Hang the branches tied together with string or elastic upside down and let the branches dry very well. After this, the dried leaves can be pulverised. You can store this in a sealed plastic container or glass jar for a very long time. (6 - 12 months).
