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Lemongrass

Cymbopogon citratus (sim-boh-POH-gon sih-TRAY-tus)

Family: Poaceae Non-native Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

Strongly scented lemon leaves used in India and Southern Asian cuisine; overwinter as a container plant but do not let it dry out. This plant tolerates a range of soil types. The plant oils are used for perfumes and herbal medicines. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 35 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Colocasia esculenta Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum Podophyllum peltatum

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herb; Herbaceous Perennial; Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect
Texture
Fine
Leaf feel
Prickly
Leaf value
Edible; Fragrant
Hairs present
No
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower detail
This plant does not flower.
Fruit type
Caryopsis
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
India and Sri Lanka
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves
Fruit type
Caryopsis

Edibility

Leaves for flavoring

Uses (ethnobotany)

Flavoring in cuisine

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Lawn
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Edible Garden
Design feature
Accent
Garden tags
#problem for horses #problem for dogs #problem for cats #wilson mg plant sale 2021 #landscape plant sleuths course #ornamental grass #culinary
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Resistant to
Deer; Heat; Humidity; Insect Pests; Poor Soil; Slugs
Propagation
Division; Seed

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.