uses for lemon verbena and pineapple sage

I planted lemon verbena and pineapple sage for the first time this year. The leaves were so fragrant I couldn't resist! Because I've never had them before: What are some favorite uses for these herbs?

I just bought a pineapple sage this weekend. The lady I got it from said it was good to add to iced tea while it's brewing. I'm going to try that today.
susan

Thanks, sanita.

I like to put dried, freshly crushed leaves in one of those huge tea balls (www.mountainroseherbs.com ) and drop it into my bath. I also like to use distilled lemon verbena leaves in my soaps, (hard to do unless you have a distillery set-up, though:). And I also like lemon verbena leaves in my rose potpourries.

Wow- also great ideas. Thanks.

Has anybody had luck propagating lemon verbena?

I tried rooting some cuttings in a glass of water, but they withered one by one. I guess the next step is to stick them in moist potting mix with a baggie....

At least my parent plant (purchased a couple of weeks ago) is thriving!

I've never done this, myself, but if I were to try this I'd do it with greenwood cuttings (only), and definitely use rooting powder, a sterile soil mix, and secure the cutting with a plastic bag until rooted, to keep out pests and to keep the cutting's environment humid. (After it's rooted, one removes the bag).
Cyra

Thanks, Cyra! I'll try again, following Tom DeBaggio's method -- much like you described... For anyone who wants a detailed description, see http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/597232/

I was hoping somebody would post to say, oh, it roots in water just like mint -- try again! LOL

Thanks, and thank you for the link, it was informative...although I don't have need of nearly as many cuttings as Tom takes, but yes, the methods are very similar. His are simply done on a much larger scale:)
Cyra

I kind of dared myself to get pineapple sage and that thing has taken off like crazy! It's HUGE!!! I'll try it in tea. Any other uses? Seems like it would be nice in a stew?

I've been making sun tea with pineapple sage and lemon verbena for many years now. It's the best drink ever on a hot day. I loosely pack a gallon glass jar with about equal amounts of both and throw in a sprig or two of mint. Fill it with fresh cool water and set it outside in the sun for a few hours. Until it has a nice light honey yellow color. Everyone loves it!

Try pineapple sage chopped up in cottage cheese. It also makes a nice syrup or sherbert or added to fruit salads. A syrup can be frozen in ice cube trays and stored in bags for winter use in all kinds of things. I've found it's delicate flavor can get lost in cooking, so add it at the end if you try it in stew.

I also root hundrends of cuttings each year. But a good home project - especially for kids - is to take a pop or water bottle, cut it apart about 1/4th to 1/3rd of the way up from the bottom. Punch holes for drainage. Add your soil-less potting mix. Place your tip cuttings, water well and cover with the top of the bottle (without the cap is usually best). You have a little mini greenhouse where the kids (and you) can watch as the roots grow. Lemon Verbena takes longer than Pineapple sage. I don't use rooting hormone. Have tried it both ways (with & without the hormone) and found both do best without it, at least for me. Only water as needed, the soil should be damp but not overly wet. The bottle will keep the needed humidity in. This method works great on lots of plants - coleus and pelargoniums (geraniums) root the fastest if you're trying it with kids.

Wow! Thanks! The syrup sounds especially interesting -- how do you make it?

Thanks! Somebody told me that lemon verbena rooted "just like mint," so I put some cuttings in water -- no go. I will stick the next round of cuttings in moist potting mix as you suggested.

A simple syrup is made using 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup loosely packed fresh lemon verbena leaves. Bring water & sugar to a boil then add leaves. Remove from heat and let steep until cool, stirring occassionaly. Strain the infusion and discard the leaves. The syrup can be used in many ways. It's especially good added to pound cake.

Great sounding syrup recipe thanks! Do you overwinter the verbena in the house or greenhouse?

A piece of mine broke off and I stuck in it the pot. It appears to have rooted but I am hesitant to uproot it and find out. Other pieces I did the same to did not root.

I over winter my Lemon Verbena in a greenhouse. It's pruned up like a tree. The first time I saw a Lemon Verbena tree was many years ago at Well Sweep Herb Farm in NJ. It was 6 feet tall and huge. I've been working on mine for 5 years but it's only about 5 feet tall and after pruning it back severely isn't very big. But has lots of new growth coming. I find if I don't prune it back hard it gets too leggy. I took cuttings off of it all winter so didn't do the pruning until spring. By the end of the summer it should be filled out again.

Magnificent lemon verbena! I started to make mine a topiary but if wants to flop so much. When I pot it up, I will stake it. Right now, I don't want to do so and disturb the root system. How cool does the GH get in winter?

I have to bring my lemon verbena in for the winter. It always gets whitefly (I use yellow sticky traps) and has to be cut back considerable. I like the syrup recipe. I do the same one for lavender, only use the flowers. Pineapple sage sounds interesting and especially with lemon verbena. I wish I had a distilling set up but I checked it out and the cost was prohibitive. Also the volume of plant material is pretty amazing.

Podster, I did stake my Lemon Verbena for the first year or two, until the trunk became strong enough to support the top. Winter night time temps can get into the 30s on the coldest nights. We run a little heater to try to keep it above 40. Day time temps are usually 50 or above. As long as it doesn't freeze it will be ok. By February I get more serious about heating the GH when I start doing seeds. I do use heat mats under my fall cuttings and early seedlings though.

Whitefly is a huge problem with the Lemon Verbena, I go through a lot of soap when they start appearing. I made the mistake of bringing in a plant from another GH that introduced them - didn't check it well enough. I try to clean the plants well before bringing them into the GH in the fall. But once I start opening the GH in the spring it seems to be fair game for every bug in the area. Now that every thing is in an open GH they're a major issue and I have to go over everything with soap at least once a week to keep them at bay. Would love to find an organic way to totally get rid of them but don't think that will happen this year. We're having hot dry August like weather and it just seems to encourage them!