Illustration of Cymbopogon martini by Wilhelm Georg Pape in Species graminum. Volume 3 (1836). [Public Domain]
Genus: Cymbopogon
Common Names: variable
Description coming soon.
Distribution: tropical and subtropical Africa, Australia and Asia
Our Selection
Cymbopogon citratus
Common name(s): lemongrass, West Indian lemongrass
Description: perennial; a tropical grass that can be grown in temperate regions as an annual or in a greenhouse as a perennial. C. citratus is typically the preference for culinary application as its stalks are much larger and easier to process than C. flexuosus. Leaves smell strongly of lemon when bruised.
Height: to 4 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Position: full sun and well-draining soil
Uses: medicine, culinary- in cuisines throughout the world, herbal tea
Winter Hardiness: to 30 F and below
Distribution: S. India, Sri Lanka (though introduced in much of the tropics throughout the world)
Cymbopogon flexuosus
Common name(s): East Indian lemongrass
Description: perennial; a tropical grass that can be grown in temperate regions as an annual or in a greenhouse as a perennial. C. flexuosus is typically more vigorous in our climate than C. citatus and the leaves are excellent for herbal teas but the stalks are thinner and harder to use for cooking. Leaves smell strongly of lemon when bruised.
Height: to 4 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Position: full sun and well-draining soil
Uses: medicine, culinary- in cuisines throughout the world, herbal tea
Winter Hardiness: to 30 F and below
Distribution: South and SE Asia