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Lemongrass

Cymbopogon citratus

A big, clumping tropical grass with a strong lemon scent. It thrives in Florida's heat and rain, and in colder places it's grown in a pot and brought in for winter. Grocery-store stalks with a bit of base often root in water.

Growing facts

Scientific name
Cymbopogon citratus
Origin
Tropical Asia (South and Southeast Asia)
Plant size
3–5 ft clumps, spreading to 3 ft wide
Growth rate
Fast
Sun
Full sun
Soil
Rich, moist, well-drained soil
Soil pH
6.0–7.5
Pollination
Not needed; grown from divisions, and it rarely flowers
Cold hardiness
Leaves are killed by frost; the roots die in a hard freeze below about 25°F
USDA zones
9b–11 in the ground; pots elsewhere
Harvest
3–4 months from planting a division
When to plant (zones 9–11)
Mar–Jun
When to plant (zones 5–8)
May–Jun
Water
About every 4 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young
Feeding
About every 30 days
Taste
Bright lemon with a ginger-like warmth
Nutrition
Used in small amounts, so mostly flavor

Is lemongrass safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts

What you can eat

  • Lower stalks, sliced fine or bruised
  • Leaves, for tea

Toxic parts and cautions

  • Take care: The leaf edges are sharp enough to cut skin; wear gloves and long sleeves when dividing or trimming.
  • Good to know: Lemongrass essential oil is concentrated and can irritate skin; don't swallow it.
  • Good to know: Citronella grass looks similar but isn't for eating; buy plants labeled Cymbopogon citratus.

Pets: Mildly toxic to cats and dogs in quantity, causing vomiting and diarrhea; cats that like chewing grass may overdo it. Its essential oil is unsafe for cats.

How to eat and enjoy lemongrass

  • Thai soups like tom yum and tom kha
  • Curry pastes and marinades
  • Lemongrass tea, hot or iced
  • Bruised stalks in broths and rice

When it's ripe

Cut or snap off outer stalks at the base once they're about 1/2 in thick. Use the pale lower 4–6 in for cooking and the leaves for tea.

Storing it

Refrigerate stalks wrapped for 2–3 weeks. Freezes well whole or sliced.

Lemongrass varieties (2)

  • East Indian · also East Indian lemongrass, Cochin grass, Malabar grass

    A related lemongrass used mostly for tea and oil.

    Origin: India

    Cymbopogon flexuosus, a different species; sometimes flowers.

  • West Indian · also West Indian lemongrass

    The common culinary lemongrass sold in grocery stores and nurseries.

    Cymbopogon citratus.

Pests and diseases to watch for

  • Scale insects

    Small bumps, waxy or shell-like, on stems and leaf veins; sticky honeydew and black sooty mold below.

    What to do: Scrub small colonies off with a soft brush.

  • Mealybugs

    White cottony clusters in leaf joints, under leaves and on fruit stems; honeydew and sooty mold.

    What to do: Blast off with a strong spray of water.

  • Aphids

    Clusters of tiny soft insects on new shoots; leaves curl and get sticky.

    What to do: Spray off with water.

  • Sooty mold

    Black, papery film on leaves and fruit that wipes off; it grows on honeydew.

    What to do: Control the insects making honeydew; the mold then weathers away.

  • Spider mites

    Fine pale speckling on leaves, dusty undersides and fine webbing; leaves bronze and drop.

    What to do: Hose the undersides of leaves.

Growing lemongrasses? Let Gardyn keep track.

Gardyn tells you when your lemongrass needs water based on your local weather, reminds you to feed and prune in season, and keeps every harvest and photo.

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General guidance, not medical or veterinary advice. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435.