Lemon verbena
Aloysia citrodora
Leaf, preferably fresh · cooling · gladdening
The sharpest lemon leaf in the garden — a cup of crushed green citrus.
On the nose
How it smells
Bright, sharp, clean lemon — more leafy and green than peel — herbal, slightly floral. Sparkling when you bruise a leaf.
More citrus & lemonIn the mouth
How it tastes
Intense, pure lemon — often called one of the finest lemon cups. Bright, clean, slightly floral.
Traditional use
A stillroom tea for a hot afternoon and a circling head. Folk kitchens steeped the leaf as a digestive and a glad cup, and dried it for winter when the bush had gone to wood.
In the cup
A handful of fresh leaves, covered steep 5–8 minutes. Dried works. Fine iced. Do not boil it hard — the lemon goes flat.
Blood
Sour blood · sour
Sour is cooling and astringent. It draws and binds, thickens thin blood, starts saliva, and hydrates even as it tightens. Sour plants carry the antioxidants of fruit. They move mucous and support the lungs — large doses irritate. Lemon-family plants show up again and again in sinus cups.
Read sour bloodReached for
The promise
A careful hand
Ordinary tea for a healthy adult.
Generally well-tolerated. Thin long-term studies; traditional and culinary use supports a moderate pot. Safe for most healthy adults.
Read the whole promiseSits well with
Lemon balm
Melissa officinalis
A lemon-leaf for a circling mind and a mild viral season.
Frayed nerves · Restless sleep · Feverish & flushed
Brighten, circulate, and clear
Peppermint
Mentha × piperita
The lift in the cupboard — head, belly, and a closed room.
Bloating · Indigestion · Headache
Brighten, circulate, and clear
Spearmint
Mentha spicata
The sweeter mint — kinder to children and to a tender stomach.
Bloating · Indigestion · Nausea
Brighten, circulate, and clear
Traditional kitchen and folk use only. This is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are pregnant, nursing, on medicine, or unwell, ask a clinician before drinking anything as a remedy.