Where does verbena come from?
A member of the Verbenaceae family, verbena is an aromatic herb native to Peru, Chile and Argentina. It needs sunshine and warmth to grow and can be found throughout the Mediterranean region, including Italy, Spain and the south of France. There are several closely related varieties. The best known are “common vervain” (Verbena officinalis), also called “Venus’s herb”, which has been credited with magical powers since antiquity, including the power to attract love; and “lemon verbena”, also known as lemon-scented verbena, prized for its heady fragrance and most often used in herbal infusions. It’s fairly easy to grow in gardens in temperate and tropical regions… if you fancy giving it a go!
Our tips for preparing a verbena infusion
Whether you’re drawn to its flavour, its supposed effects on the body, or both (flavour and benefits make a great combination!), here’s how to make a herbal infusion with verbena leaves.
Want to know more? Herbal infusions: how do you choose and prepare one?
What are the benefits of verbena?
Known for its many properties, verbena, whether common vervain or lemon verbena, is a staple of herbal medicine. Verbena has a range of benefits:
1 - Calming effects to help you sleep
Verbena is a wonderful plant known for its calming properties, which may be particularly helpful for sleep. A verbena infusion, also known as Verbena officinalis or lemon verbena, acts as a natural relaxant, helping to ease stress and anxiety.
2 - Helps digestion
Verbena is a plant known for its digestive properties. Its soothing effect helps relax the stomach muscles, which may ease the cramps, bloating and flatulence often associated with difficult digestion.
3 - A feeling of fullness to support everyday weight management
Verbena is known for its potential benefits in weight management. As an infusion, it encourages a feeling of fullness and may therefore reduce the urge to snack between meals — a useful boost when you’re trying to lose weight.
4 - Reduces high blood pressure
Studies suggest that verbena infusion may help dilate blood vessels, promoting better circulation and contributing to a slight reduction in blood pressure. Verbena’s calming effect also helps ease stress and anxiety, two factors that can affect high blood pressure.
5 - Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties
Verbena is known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, making it a popular plant in herbal medicine. The flavonoids and essential oils it contains give it the ability to help relieve various types of inflammation. Its antioxidant action helps neutralise free radicals, which are responsible for cellular ageing and many health problems.
What does verbena taste like?
Aromatic verbena leaves are loved for their pleasant lemony scent. Some people even pick up a hint of mint or mandarin. Those flavours go beautifully with exotic dishes, fruit salads, ice cream, desserts and custards. Another idea: use verbena in a marinade with other herbs and ingredients, such as ginger or lemongrass, then marinate some sea bass or sea bream in it. Give it a try!
What’s the difference between a verbena infusion and verbena herbal tea?
Whether you call it a verbena infusion or a verbena herbal tea, it’s really the same drink. Originally, “infusion” referred to the preparation method: pouring hot water over leaves, flowers or fruit. “Herbal tea” was the name for the drink made by infusing plants. Over time, though, “infusion” has increasingly come to mean the hot drink itself, ready to enjoy.
How do you prepare a verbena infusion?
It couldn’t be simpler: all you need is water and verbena leaves, fresh or dried. Bring the water to the boil at 100°C, then let the verbena infuse for 5 to 6 minutes. Depending on your taste, you can add other beneficial herbs, such as mint, lemongrass or chamomile, or some ginger, and sweeten it with honey.
When should you enjoy a verbena infusion?
Unlike tea, whose caffeine can sometimes keep more sensitive people awake, herbal infusions have no stimulating effect. So you can enjoy one throughout the day. Depending on the effects you’re looking for, you might drink an infusion after a meal to aid digestion, or at other times of day as part of a weight-loss plan, for example. For the former, you might choose a lemongrass infusion, known for soothing digestive discomfort. For the latter, a liquorice or mint infusion, which may encourage fat burning. As for verbena, its potential effects on stress and sleep problems make it a natural choice for an evening infusion!
Verbena infusions from Kusmi
If you don’t have verbena growing in your garden (or you don’t have a garden, which is an even better excuse!), we suggest choosing a herbal blend that’s ready to infuse. And to whet your appetite for a hot drink, here are the blends created by the experts at Kusmi Tea.
Organic kusmi tea herbal infusions, responsibly packaged in France
Since 2020, Kusmi has chosen to go organic. All our ingredients come from organic farming, are certified to strict standards and undergo regular checks. What’s more, our entire range draws on French expertise. All our organic teas and herbal infusions are conceived, created, blended and packed in Normandy, in Saint-Vigor d’Ymonville, near Le Havre. Finally, our products come in eco-conscious packaging made from bio-based, biodegradable or recyclable materials. What more could you ask for?
Organic Be Cool infusion with mint, verbena, apple and liquorice
To be Cool or not to be ? You have four hours to ponder the question. Or, better yet, five minutes to let your infusion brew! Being cool means staying calm whatever happens. It means letting life’s little worries drift away as you savour our organic Be Cool infusion. Curious about verbena’s benefits? Try it in our organic BeCool herbal infusion. Organic verbena leaves and mint, joined by apple and liquorice, are all it takes for a gentle, peaceful moment that helps you see the cup as half full.
Sleep infusion with a touch of verbena
When you think verbena, you think relaxation and… a good night’s sleep. That’s the hope, anyway! For a little company on your way to the land of nod, try our evening infusion, Sleep. It blends mango rooibos, lemon balm and verbena to help you unwind. Don’t be surprised if you end up dancing with the Sandman after a cup of this organic infusion.
