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bohochick

Lemon Verbena/Pineapple Sage

bohochick
10 years ago

Here in Zone 8 we had an incredible, warm, sunny start to spring, but we had a rainy, somewhat cold snap for about a week, week and a half. I'm worried that my Lemon Verbena may have bolted, and can't for the life of me find anything online about what I should do, if it's just flowering like normal, and if I should or shouldn't snip the flowers. I planted it in the beginning of this Spring and want to make sure it grows as much as possible before winter.

Also, some of the leaves on my Pineapple Sage started turning purple and I'm worried it's from the cold. Should I prune the dark purple leaves?

Thanks in advance!
~~ Kay

Comments (9)

  • margowicz
    10 years ago

    pineapple sage can't get wet it is either a greenhouse herb or a house plant in the uk I got mine indoors on a windowsill coming on well

  • fatamorgana2121
    10 years ago

    Pineapple sage - Don't trim the leaves. Let the plant recover on its own. Purple is a color of temperature being too cold.

    Lemon verbena is a perennial. Flowering with perennials usually isn't a problem but I haven't had experience with this plant specifically. I usually stick with winter hardy plants for my location.

    FataMorgana

  • CA Kate z9
    10 years ago

    Lemon Verbena is a small shrub in CA. It flowers several times a year and isn't 'bolting' . I would say that if its flowering its happy. When you make a pitcher of ice tea this summer cut off a piece of stem and put it in the tea.... best ever.

    The Pineapple Sage will be fine too.

  • bohochick
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you all so much for the advice! It definitely helps ease my mind.

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    Not all flowering is "bolting". Bolting happens to annuals like brassica, radish, lettuce and similar cold crops, when the weather gets much warmer. So herbs flowering is not considered "bolting".

  • bohochick
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    That's good to know. I was just worried since it was a new plant, and we had unseasonably warm weather and then it just changed overnight to rainy, and cold. Now there are winds that are knocking down trees and we're making records for rainfall in my area. I've never grown Lemon Verbena before, and like I said, searching online was giving me nothing. I'm so glad I found this forum!

  • goodearth
    10 years ago

    I was under the impression Lemon Verbena did not grown from seeds but from cuttings . Mine never bloomed and it died a few years ago. I would like to get another since it smells and tastes heavenly. Any ideas?

  • bohochick
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I didn't grow mine from seed, I bought it as a small plant. This is my first year growing it, so I'm not sure I'm the best advice giver, but so far my plant is doing well. It is growing new leaves and is a bit bigger now than when I bought it. I'm still not comfortable enough to cut anything off of it though. The old leaves are browning and falling off and being replaced by new leaves, but it's still a pretty bare little plant. I know where a lot of people go wrong is not knowing that it's a deciduous shrub. In cold weather it drops its leaves and looks dead until spring, and if it's kept warm enough it'll come back. Maybe your weather wasn't warm enough for it.

  • balloonflower
    10 years ago

    You can treat your lemon verbena a little like basil--if you trim it back, it will regrow (in season). Pinching encourages more growth, and more stems. It's also a great one for permaculture--pick the tips off, then just stick them in the ground to root for more plants.

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