Santa Rosa Gardens

Lemon grass is an aromatic tropical grass with clumped, bulbous stems that ultimately become leaf blades. Lemon grass is in the same grass family as citronella and palmarosa; it has a lemon flavor. It has a branched cluster of stalked flowers and grows in clumps up to 3' tall. The evergreen leaves are bright bluish-green and release a citrus aroma when crushed. It is the leaves that are used as flavoring and in medicine. They are steam distilled to extract lemongrass oil, an old standby in theperfumer's palette of scents.  Lemongrass is native to India and the nearby island of Sri Lanka. It is found growing naturally in tropical grasslands. It is also extensively cultivated throughout tropical Asia.  Gardeners in subtropical areas will enjoy using lemongrass in beds and borders. It also does well in tubs and containers. It is especially nice along walkways where plants release fragrance when brushed against by passersby. If you live in a frosty area, you can enjoy it as an annual. You can also pot it up for the winter and keep it in a brightly lit area indoors.

Lemongrass grows best in well drained sandy soils. Raised furrows are recommended to minimize crown root rot problems which could be induced by irrigation water. Even though lemongrass is a perennial crop in the tropics, winter conditions will kill it off with the first freeze. Plant lemongrass as soon as the danger from frost is past to prolong the growing season.