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PlantFiles: West Indian Lemon Grass
Cymbopogon citratus

 
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Family: Poaceae (poh-AY-see-ay) (Info)
Genus: Cymbopogon (sim-buh-POH-gon) (Info)
Species: citratus (sit-TRAY-tus) (Info)

Synonym:Andropogon citratus

12 vendors have this plant for sale.

16 members have or want this plant for trade.

Category:
Herbs
Ornamental Grasses and Bamboo

Height:
4-6 ft. (1.2-1.8 m)

Spacing:
24-36 in. (60-90 cm)

Hardiness:
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)

Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Sun to Partial Shade

Danger:
Handling plant may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction

Bloom Color:
Inconspicuous/none

Bloom Time:
N/A

Foliage:
Grown for foliage
Aromatic

Other details:
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Suitable for growing in containers

Soil pH requirements:
5.1 to 5.5 (strongly acidic)
5.6 to 6.0 (acidic)
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline)

Propagation Methods:
By dividing the rootball

Seed Collecting:
N/A: plant does not set seed, flowers are sterile, or plants will not come true from seed

By mystic
Thumbnail #1 of Cymbopogon citratus by mystic

By herbin
Thumbnail #2 of Cymbopogon citratus by herbin

By suncatcheracres
Thumbnail #3 of Cymbopogon citratus by suncatcheracres

By shasta143
Thumbnail #4 of Cymbopogon citratus by shasta143

By captphill
Thumbnail #5 of Cymbopogon citratus by captphill

By salvia_lover
Thumbnail #6 of Cymbopogon citratus by salvia_lover

By Happenstance
Thumbnail #7 of Cymbopogon citratus by Happenstance

Profile:

10 positives
1 neutral
No negatives

Gardeners' Notes:

RatingAuthorComment
Positive straea On Jun 29, 2008, straea from Somerville, MA wrote:

This is just about the easiest tropical plant to grow in a pot in summer here. With little care beyond watering it if there hasn't been recent rain, I have had them attain heights of 5 ft. or more in a single season, even when in partial shade. I have had mixed results overwintering them indoors and continue to experiment with the best way to do that here; I think this winter I will try a humidity tray and see if that helps.

Positive russelltdog On May 26, 2008, russelltdog from Kenner, LA
(Zone 9a) wrote:

Wonderful for Southeast Asian cooking and for the garden. Easy to grow-is not very fussy. Give sun, water, and fertilize every once in a while, and it will grow well. Easy to start: just go to local oriental market's vegetable section and buy a bundle of lemongrass stalks (get the freshly cut ones-they are green and plump). Cut the stalks with the white swollen end down so that they are about 12" - Discard the upper cut portions or use in cooking. Place the cut lower sections in a glass of water and let stems form roots. In glass of water, roots are clearly visible in 7-10 days.When adequate roots are formed, then plant rooted stems in potting soil and place in diffuse sunlight. Keep moist but not wet. Can also pot the trimmed lower portions in potting soil and skip rooting in water. Stems will grow roots directly in potting soil. This is great plant to use in garden but also great for using in the kitchen. I live in southeastern Louisiana in Zone 9A.

Positive kwesimango On Jul 14, 2006, kwesimango from Accra
(Ghana) wrote:

These are supposed to be propagated by dividing the rootball but if you start from scratch there is another method. Just buy some lemon grass stems from the supermarket and put them bottom down in a glass of water. If you're lucky they will develop roots after a few weeks time.

Positive manyhats On Jun 23, 2005, manyhats from Palm Springs, CA
(Zone 9b) wrote:

This makes a great tea, hot or cold. better yet, is a combination of freshly grated ginger root and mint leaves with slices of lemmon grass from the white-going into the green part of the plant, as in Thai soup.

Positive JenniferG On Nov 3, 2004, JenniferG from Shalimar, FL
(Zone 8a) wrote:

This is the second season I've had this plant. Last year it was in a container and it grew well. I covered it when winter brought temps below 32. It's planted in the garden now and has done great. Hurricane Ivan pummeled it, we cut it down, but it grew right back.

Positive foodiesleuth On Aug 1, 2004, foodiesleuth from Honomu, HI
(Zone 11) wrote:

So far, I only have a small plant at this time. I have had some in the past that grew into huge clumps. Wonderful in South East Asian dishes.

Positive sethy On Jul 31, 2004, sethy from Hana, HI wrote:

Out on Maui, it works wonderfully for an edging plant, to keep the grass from invading an area. We prefer it to the more dense and quickly growing vetiver grass, because it is temporary and can be removed easily if the edge is expanded. Valuable for permaculture and a great sooting tea from the leaves. In Costa Rica they use the root decoction of "sacate limon" for sore throats.

Positive Maxz On Feb 15, 2004, Maxz wrote:

I've been growing Lemongrass for years and found it refreshing as iced tea in the summer and soothing and comforting in the winter as hot tea. It's medicinal properties are well documented. Any garden is incomplete without this herb.

Positive suncatcheracres On Aug 2, 2003, suncatcheracres from Old Town, FL wrote:

I regularly use lemon grass in cooking. I have to grow it in a large pot and keep it in a cool greenhouse over winter here in Northcentral Florida, zone 8b, but I go to all that trouble because the herb imparts such a wonderful flavor to oriental soups and fish. Carol Saville's excellent book "Exotic Herbs" devotes three whole pages to this herb, and includes a recipe for "Lemon Grass and Vietnamese Balm Cooler."

I grew this plant in the ground in St. Petersburg for many years, zone 9b, and the small plant I purchased this Spring and potted up in rich potting soil is now close to three feet tall despite constant "pruning" for cooking.

Positive AustinBarbie On Jun 9, 2002, AustinBarbie from Harker Heights, TX
(Zone 8a) wrote:

I absolutely love my lemongrass. I planted two plants about eight months ago, and they were about 3 strands of grass each. Now, they are huge, mature, beautiful plants with a graceful, swaying drooping habit as it gets long. Propagate by division. Needs full sun to light shade, and is not frost tolerant. I live in a hot semi-arid climate that does not freeze.

Neutral mystic On Aug 14, 2001, mystic from Ewing, KY
(Zone 6a) wrote:

This grass grows in dense clumps that can grow to 6 feet in height to about 4 feet in width. The strap-like leaves are 1/2 to 1 inch wide, about 3 feet long, and have gracefully drooping tips. The leaves are bright yellow-green and release a lemon aroma when crushed.

Regional...

This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:

Goodyear, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Little Rock, Arkansas
Clovis, California
Fairfield, California
Fontana, California
Merced, California
Palm Springs, California
Perris, California
Pomona, California
Sacramento, California
San Francisco, California
San Pedro, California
Bartow, Florida
Hollywood, Florida
Merritt Island, Florida
Ocala, Florida
Pompano Beach, Florida (2 reports)
Riverview, Florida
Sebring, Florida
Shalimar, Florida
Stuart, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Venice, Florida
Honomu, Hawaii
Ewing, Kentucky
Kenner, Louisiana
Somerville, Massachusetts
Binghamton, New York
Deposit, New York
Schenectady, New York
Efland, North Carolina
Hulbert, Oklahoma
Austin, Texas
Boerne, Texas
Cedar Park, Texas
Conroe, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Houston, Texas
Montgomery, Texas
Nacogdoches, Texas
Spring Branch, Texas
Weslaco, Texas



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