Cymbopogon 'Lemon Grass': East Indian

Lemon Grass is an aromatic tropical perennial herb cultivated primarily for culinary use. There are two varieties of Lemon Grass used almost interchangeably: West-Indian Lemon Grass and East-Indian Lemon Grass. The latter variety is native to India, Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. Lemon Grass has a light, refreshing, lemony flavor and smell without the bitterness that lemon rind can have—with a hint of ginger. It is also known to be used as a cleansing antiseptic. The plants grow in dense clumps up to 6 feet in diameter, with leaves up to 3 feet long. They require warm, humid conditions in full sun to thrive. The coarse, strap-like leaves are ½-1” wide, finely serrated on the edges (rough enough to cut skin), tapered at the end and have gracefully drooping tips. When harvested, the bulbous stems look like scallions, but are pale yellow and more fibrous once the woody outer layers have been removed. The whole stalk itself is too hard to be eaten, so it is usually smashed and simmered in liquid to impart the lemony flavor to the dish, then removed before serving.

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Available in 4", 1 Gal