Growing lemongrass in temperate zones

*Cymbopogon citratus* -- lemongrass -- is a tropical grass native to Southeast Asia that has become one of the most widely grown culinary herbs outside its native range. Its stalks and leaves contain citral, linalool, and related compounds that produce a fresh lemon-citrus flavor with a slightly.

Cymbopogon citratus — lemongrass — is a tropical grass native to Southeast Asia that has become one of the most widely grown culinary herbs outside its native range. Its stalks and leaves contain citral, linalool, and related compounds that produce a fresh lemon-citrus flavor with a slightly floral, ginger-adjacent complexity. It is used extensively in Thai, Vietnamese, and South and Southeast Asian cooking, and increasingly in Western kitchens for teas, marinades, and flavoring.

In temperate North America, it grows as a perennial in zones 8-10 and a warm-season annual in zones 5-7. I don't grow it at my zone 7a Long Island plot, but it is straightforward to grow there as an annual given its rapid growth rate. This guide is sourced from Extension publications.

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Identification and species

Per Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, two species are commonly grown:

• ***Cymbopogon citratus (West Indian lemongrass):* The culinary species used in cooking. Produces large stalks but rarely flowers in cultivation; does not set seed reliably. Propagated vegetatively.
• ***Cymbopogon flexuosus (East Indian lemongrass):* Used primarily for essential oil production. More commonly grown commercially in India. Less commonly available in American nurseries.

For culinary use, C. citratus is the standard.