When to Plant Lemon Verbena in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide
What this month normally looks like in Cold / Highland
In October the Cold / Highland zone normally runs 20°C by day and 7°C overnight, with about 58 mm of rain over 7 or 8 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -6.4°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 15 postcodes, SILO.
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This Lemon Verbena guide is written for the Cold / Highland zone, which takes in Canberra, Cooma and Bright. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Oct to Nov
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 80 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.6–7.3
Lemon verbena is a shrub with strongly lemon scented leaves, used for tea, desserts and savoury dishes. It likes full sun and free draining soil.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct T
- Nov T
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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How to Grow Lemon Verbena in Cold / Highland Australia
- Soil
- Reasonably free draining soil, not fussy about pH (Seed Collection). Daleys gives a neutral pH of 6.6 to 7.3 and says it copes with poor sandy soil.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.6-7.3
- Sunlight
- Full sun or partial shade (Seed Collection). Daleys rates it for 80 to 100 percent sun.
- Spacing
- 80cm apart
- Watering
- Moderate water (Daleys). Keep the soil from waterlogging in winter (Seed Collection).
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Lemon Verbena
Recommended Varieties
- Lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora)
Key Challenges
- Hard frost
- Short season
Pro Tips
- Pot it
- Move under cover for winter
Pests and problems for Lemon Verbena in Cold / Highland
Harvesting Lemon Verbena
When ready: Leaves are most scented when the plant is in flower (Seed Collection).
How to harvest: Remove up to a quarter of each stem by cutting just above a leaf node (Seed Collection).
Storing and preserving lemon verbena
How to keep it
- Drying. Dry leaves in a warm, airy place away from direct sun, then store whole in a jar. No Australian source read, so treat as general practice.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
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- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
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Common Questions About Lemon Verbena
When do you plant lemon verbena in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Sep
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Mar to Apr, Sep to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Mar to Apr, Sep to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Sep to Nov
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Oct to Nov
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to Apr, Sep to Oct
- Mediterranean (Perth): Mar to Apr, Sep to Nov
Can you grow lemon verbena all year round in Canberra?
No. In the Cold / Highland zone the planting months are Oct to Nov. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Lemon Verbena in Canberra?
Frost tender. Grow it in a pot and move it under cover on frosty nights. One reviewer reports survival at minus 7°C, but treat that as luck, not a rating.
How do I know when Lemon Verbena are ready to harvest?
Leaves are most scented when the plant is in flower (Seed Collection).
What are the best Lemon Verbena varieties for Canberra?
Recommended varieties for the Cold / Highland zone include: Lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora).
Are lemon verbena salt tolerant?
Only a little. Lemon verbena are moderately sensitive to salt, so the harvest drops on salty bore water. Mix salty water with rainwater, and mulch the bed.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Cold / Highland zone, Canberra is its reference city.