Lemon Grass, Cymbopogon Citratus

Lemon Grass is fragrant grass is a versatile performer in the kitchen where it can be used in teas, beverages, herbal medicines, and Eastern inspired soups and other dishes. Lemongrass is equally versatile in the garden. This tropical grass grows in dense clumps that can grow to 6 ft (1.8 m) in height and about 4 ft (1.2 m) in width. The strap-like leaves are 0.5-1 in (1.3-2.5 cm) wide, about 3 ft (0.9 m) long, and have gracefully drooping tips. The evergreen leaves are bright bluish-green and release a citrus aroma when crushed. It is the leaves that are used as flavoring and in medicine. They are steam distilled to extract lemongrass oil, an old standby in the the perfumer’s palette of scents. The lemongrass plants that you are likely to encounter are cultivars and do not typically produce flowers.

Cymbopogon citratus, Grasses, Lemon Grass, oil grass, Outdoor Plants