My first introduction to lemongrass was through our son. On a trip to Lowe’s his plant pick was lemongrass. I didn’t think much about it at the time. It was a beautiful plant and had a wonderful lemony scent. I personally had never grown it at that time so I did not have any experience or insight to offer him with his new plant. He quickly fell in love with it. He liked that he could pick off a leaf and chew on it when he was out in his garden and it had a refreshing lemon flavor. Of course he had all of us give it a try and it was very tasty. He liked that it was easy to care for and grew really well for him. Since then he has grown lemongrass every year. This winter he experimented with overwintering his lemongrass plant in his greenhouse. He has a little hoop house style greenhouse and his plant survived the winter and came back beautifully in the spring.
This spring I came across lemongrass seeds and I thought of him and decided to order them. I sprouted the seeds and have thoroughly enjoyed my plants this year and I will probably always have lemongrass in the garden. I currently have mine in our greenhouse and it adds a lovely citrus scent.
Lemongrass Description
Cymbopogon citratus, latin for lemongrass, is also known as barbed wire grass, silky heads, oily heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, citronella grass and fever grass. Lemongrass is a part of the same grass family that includes corn and wheat.
Lemon grass gets its name simply because it has a delightful citrus scent that is reminiscent of lemons.
Lemongrass is native to southeast Asia, specifically southern India and Sri Lanka. It is now widely grown in Africa, Australia and North and South America. It has become a favorite ingredient of Asian cuisine and added to different types of soups, curries, sauces and teas.
Lemongrass is not only used in cooking but the essential oils are used in soaps, detergents and insect repellents. Citral, is a chemical that is derived from lemongrass and is used in perfumes.
Please be aware that lemongrass contains essential oils and cyanogenic glycosides which are toxic to pets such as dogs, cats and horses. If they ingest lemongrass it can cause an upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive drooling, depression, weakness or changes in the color of their urine. Take care to keep lemongrass out of the area where pets can nibble on it.
Interesting Facts About Lemongrass
- Lemongrass is known as “fever grass” in Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean because it is believed to help relieve symptoms with fevers.
- Other medicinal uses for lemongrass are with helping those with digestive issues and stomach aches.
- Extract and oils from lemongrass are both antibacterial and anti inflammatory
- Lemongrass symbolizes the ability to end obstacles in your way, and transform negative energy into positive energy. It is thought to promote openness and used to foster clear and unfastened communication.
- Lemongrass rarely flowers outside of its native habitat.
- When lemongrass does bloom it is beneficial for moths, bees and butterflies.
- Lemongrass is a self-pollinating plant.
Lemongrass Care
Overall lemongrass is a pretty easy plant to grow and care for. As for all plants there are a few things to remember. The first one is that lemongrass is a tropical and subtropical plant. This means that they love warmth, water and sunlight. Lemongrass thrives in cold hardiness zones 10 – 11 and can be grown as perennials. Since they are not frost tolerant, these plants will not survive temperatures below 15 degrees fahrenheit and are grown as annuals in colder climates. If you want to treat your lemongrass plant as a perennial in colder climates, then they will need to be potted and brought into a greenhouse or inside during the winter. When lemongrass goes dormant, it is best to trim the entire plant to about six inches tall and remove any dead leaves or stems. Your plants will reemerge in the spring when the soil temperature reaches 60 degrees fahrenheit.
The next thing to remember is that even though lemongrass is a hardy plant that can handle a variety of growing conditions, they will thrive when regularly watered. They can handle drying out between waterings and poor soil but they really don’t like it. Their preference is moist, rich and well draining soil. Use a balanced fertilizer for lemongrass every two weeks during the growing season which is June – September.
Another thing to remember with lemongrass is that they love the sun. They will grow to their full potential with enough sun. Since I live in the Mojave desert, our full sun is quite a bit more intense than other locations, so our plants do get afternoon shade and they are doing really well.
Lemongrass does bloom and bees are really attracted to the blossoms along with butterflies and moths. Lemongrass will bloom from late summer to early fall but does not regularly bloom outside of its native climate so it is unlikely we will ever see our plants bloom.
Lastly, lemongrass does really well being grown in a container. If you live in any zone other than 10 – 11, you will probably want to grow it in a container so you can move it inside during the winter months. Make sure to give lemongrass room to grow since the spread by rhizomes under the ground. Make sure the pot is well draining so the plant’s roots do not get too wet and place the pot in a warm sunny location and the plant should thrive.
Lemongrass Propagation
The most popular method of propagation of lemongrass is division. Lemongrass should be divided yearly and is recommended to be divided in the spring. Simply dig up the root ball of the lemongrass and use a knife or a shovel to divide the plant into sections. Plant each section into a moist, well location in the garden or in a pot.
Lemongrass can be water propagated from cuttings from the stalk. Strip the leaves from the stalk and place the stalk in water. Roots should emerge within 2 weeks and can be planted in a container.
Starting lemongrass from seed was pretty easy for me and it sprouted quickly. Sprinkle seeds on moistened seed starting mix and cover with 1/8” of soil. If starting indoors during the colder season, make sure to use a heat mat. Seeds will germinate in about two weeks.
Companion Planting With Lemongrass
Lemongrass is supposed to help repel insects such as mosquitos, aphids, stable flies and white flies because it contains citronella. Citronella is an oil that pests naturally dislike. To receive the full benefit of the oil in lemongrass, you should break off or bruise a leaf to release the citronella scent and oils. It is safe to break off a leaf and rub the leaf on your skin to help deter mosquitoes.
Other companion plants that will help control insects along with the lemongrass would be marigolds, sage and marjoram. Other plants that do well with lemongrass are cilantro, basil, thyme, mint, lemon verbena and echinacea.
Quick Facts: Lemongrass
| Plant Type | Perennial grass |
| Mature Size | 2’ wide – 6’ tall |
| Sun Exposure | Full sun, partial shade |
| Soil Type | Moist, rich and well draining |
| Bloom Time | Late summer or early fall |
| Flower Color | Greenish white or pale yellow |
| Flower Shape | Small boat shaped clusters |
| Pollinator Friendly | Yes |
| Cold Hardiness Zones | 10 – 11 |
| Drought-Tolerant | No, prefers regular watering |
| Propagate | Division, cuttings, seeds |
| Unique Characteristics | Toxic to pets Rarely blooms outside its native habitat |
I hope you consider trying lemongrass in your garden and have as luck with it as we have.
Happy desert gardening and don’t forget to enjoy your garden!
Joy Simper has a full time job as a home schooling stay at home mom. She is the one that holds the house and yard together and keeps the kids in line. She enjoys gardening, including seed starting and propagating plants.