Lemongrass
Cymbopogon citratus
Grow as an annual or pot it up where it freezes.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 12
Light: full sun
Size: about 5 ft tall, 4 ft wide
Harvest: year-round
From: S. Asia
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food, traditional use.
Native to: South & Southeast Asian tropics. Hardy in zones 10 to 12.
The story
Lemongrass has been the fragrance of South and Southeast Asian kitchens and medicine for centuries, steeped against fever and stirred into Thai and Vietnamese pots. Its oil was distilled in India for the perfume trade long before the West tasted it in soup.
Planting
Full sun, rich moist soil, heat; grow as an annual or in a pot where it frosts. Root a stalk from the market in water, then plant out after frost.
Growing
Water and feed generously; it grows into a 4-foot clump by autumn. Cut back and bring a division indoors in winter in cold places.
Harvest and use
Cut outer stalks at the base any time from midsummer; use the pale lower part. Leaves make tea.
What to watch for
Frost, and rust spots in humid weather.
Safety
Medicinal uses here are shared as history, not advice. Kitchen amounts are fine for most people, but teas, tinctures and supplements can interact with medicines and aren't safe for everyone, especially in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, for children, or with liver or kidney problems. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking any plant as medicine.
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More perennial vegetables, greens and herbs
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home