Can lemon verbena be planted outside (London)?

[posalie]

I'm getting some lemon verbena rooted cuttings from Sarah Raven, and was hoping to plant them outside. Will they survive? We're in London.

Thank you!

Absolutely! Mine survived last winter in a pot although they're not supposed to be completely winter hardy. If I were you I'd put one in a pot to bring in, then you could always take cuttings from it in future if the winter did see to the others.

Yes! But mine did die over winter in London.

I managed to over winter mine successfully this year. I covered it with a large clear plastic container to protect it and it's doing really well now - and we're in SE England outside London, so a couple of degrees colder than you.

Hmm does it grow better in the ground? If not, I might just put it in a pot. I've not had very good luck with mints and verbenas in pots in the past. They seem to start tender but get really tough and crispy (?) in the sun. Hence considering planting out!

We have one on a pot - it was grown in a pot and given to us by a friend who had taken a cutting from his own one. We kept it in our summer house over the first winter and then covered it in frost protection webbing for the second winter. Last winter we just left it as is and it is still doing well. We are on the Essex coast.

I've had one in the ground on the allotment for 5 years, in London. I was told that they are hardy down to minus 5C, but mine has survived colder than that although not for long amounts of time. I'd try one in the ground and the rest in pots.

Mine has invaded the entire garden which is mainly pots. We are in the NW.

mine is in a pot as are all my herbs as I have a dog....all the pots are higher than he can wee!

Mine is in the ground in my herb patch, and has survived deep frost and snow, and comes back bigger every year. It should be fine!

is that lemon balm though, not lemon verbena?
lemon balm www.primrose.co.uk/lemon-balm?ps=ODE0PTM3MzYy&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1ZeUBhDyARIsAOzAqQIRXyQC1_9lG0Nz07XFGgCqqbWERPQGHxWf5ir31LoDgPXnwxlefRIaAnZHEALw_wcB#814=37362

lemon verbena www.primrose.co.uk/lemon-verbena-aloysia-citrodora-3-plants?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1ZeUBhDyARIsAOzAqQKGLAsNtKskZUy7RenMCbkHpjipvMCM7NcoFgg4678DpZbMjCz2050aAvhhEALw_wcB

Ooh you are right! Oops!

Yes but plant inside a pot or you will find it takes over your garden. It’s a thug

A few people getting confused between lemon balm and lemon verbena I think 🙂 godmum56 links to both. Lemon balm is a thug and will thrive (and take over) in most conditions. Lemon verbena is more tender. It should be fine in the summer, but may need some extra protection in winter.

Yes. Mine used to come back every year even in our odd microclimate on London/Surrey borders where snow used to last for ages and block us in.
Now in Glos and it's just as happy here.

Mine has survived in London in a pot for a few years now, I cut it back in the autumn, don’t give it any protection and give it a good mulch in the spring( which reminds me, oops) . It is in a fairly protected spot though, I don’t think it would survive if the pot was in the middle of a lawn and open to the elements.