Cymbopogon citratus
The size of the plant and of its bag can vary a little from the photograph — each one grows at its own pace. We keep them as consistent as we can.
Overview
Lemongrass is not known in the wild: it has been in people's hands so long that it now exists only in cultivation. The tender base of the stems is the part the kitchen wants, and the leaves make the tea, hot or cold, with that lemon aroma that isn't lemon. It also does a job almost nobody credits it for: the clump makes so much leaf, and that leaf breaks down so fast, that it is one of the best plants for bringing a worn-out soil back.
Culture
- Habit
- Evergreen Perennial
- Height
- 1.50 m
- Cultivation Status
- Cultivated, Ornamental
A dense perennial clump reaching a meter and a half, from a short rhizome. Plant it in full sun, in well-drained soil that holds moisture, 50 cm to 1 meter apart. It grows best below 500 meters and its comfortable range is 24 to 30 °C; cold below 10 °C will kill it. Start harvesting at three or four months, and divide the clump every three to five years, when the center opens up.
Edible Uses
The base of the tender stems is the kitchen part: used in soups, sauces and curries, and the heart of the young shoot is eaten as a vegetable. The leaves make a refreshing tea, served hot or cold. Older leaves can be cooked with food to release their aroma and lifted out before serving.
Medicinal
Traditionally the tea is drunk for digestion: it relaxes the stomach and gut and eases cramping and gas. It is one of the remedies used with children, and for minor feverish illness. The essential oil — around 70% citral — is antifungal and antibacterial, and is applied externally for athlete's foot, ringworm and other skin complaints.
_Traditional uses for information only. Not a substitute for advice from a health professional._
Traditional uses for information only. Not a substitute for advice from a health professional.
Agroforestry
An early secondary species of medium light: it produces well in the partial shade a developing canopy leaves. Its main contribution is the soil. Cut the leaf often and leave it where it falls — there is a lot of it, it rots down quickly, it draws worms, and it lifts tired ground. A row of clumps also works as a divider, holding back sweet potato and other plants that run, and as a barrier against weeds and erosion on a slope.
At Bodha Gardens lemongrass is part of the Medicinal and Aromatic system planted in 2025, filling strata alongside juanilama, anisillo, curry leaf, patchouli, cardamom, black turmeric and nacedero.