Lemon Haze: It Smells Like Lemon, But Doesn't Taste Like One

In short: Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is a tropical grass 1 to 1.5 m tall that smells of lemon but does not taste sour. Sow seeds at 22–23 °C, where they germinate in 10 to 20 days. It needs at least 6 hours of sun, a pot from 20 cm wide and frost-free overwintering around 10 °C.

Lemongrass is a Rarity Among Grasses

Lemongrass, cymbopogon citratus, is a tropical grass that is well-known from Asian cuisine. It consists of narrow, approximately half-meter-long grey-green stalks that greatly resemble common grass. Lemongrass or citronella for short has a lemony fragrance, but doesn't have the sour taste of lemon.

Its homeland is the tropical regions of Ceylon and India, where it grows almost everywhere. The effects of lemongrass were known to the ancient Egyptians 3000 years ago. Indigenous tribes in Asia and Central Africa still use it today as a supportive treatment for malaria, flu and nervous disorders. It is used to treat coughs and rheumatism in India, while in China it is used for regular blood cleansing. In natural medicine, it is primarily used to treat periodontitis. In our conditions, we grow it in gardens, but also in pots on balconies or indoors.

For lemongrass we use the names citronella, lemongrass, lenabat or sereh. The name is derived from its distinctive lemony fragrance.

Growing Lemongrass

Lemongrass, Latin name Cymbopogon citratus, is an exotic grass that grows to a height of 1 - 1.5 m. It belongs to the grass family (Latin: Poaceae). It is related to, for example, bamboo, corn and rice.

These are narrow, approximately half-meter-long green stalks, strikingly similar to the English onion called scallion. It forms dense aromatic clumps of these stalks.

We also grow lemongrass in pots, which we can place in a sunny spot in the garden or on the balcony from spring to autumn. For an adult citronella plant, a pot with a minimum diameter of 20 cm is suitable, so that the plant maintains its content of fragrant essential oils.

Indoors, we place it in a south-facing location.

Lemongrass seeds are planted in sandy-clay soil or in substrate designed for growing subtropical plants. First in a propagator. We plant them shallowly, cover them with a thin layer of soil and cover the entire propagator with plastic film and ensure a constant room temperature of 22-23°C. Lemongrass seeds will germinate in approximately 10-20 days. We spray the seeds with water from time to time.

We move the young plants into a pot and water them generously. The lemongrass plant thrives in a sunny location (at least 6 hours of sun per day) and with plenty of watering. We take care not to overwater the citronella, as it doesn't tolerate waterlogging, so we only water it when the soil is dry. It doesn't tolerate frost, so we move it indoors to a cool place (around 10°C) for overwintering and naturally reduce watering.

When the lemongrass is strong enough, we can start cutting it just above the soil surface. Then we peel it, chop it or crush it to release the essential oils. We use lemongrass fresh, dried or frozen.

Lemongrass is at home in both Indian and Thai cuisine

Lemongrass is a characteristic herb for Indian and Thai cuisine. It combines excellently with ginger, coriander, chilli, curry or coconut milk. We flavor fish, seafood, prawns, chicken and rice with lemongrass. We flavor salads with the tips of the grass, add the tougher ends of the stalks to broths, but remove them before consumption.

Lemongrass has antibacterial effects, so we can prepare a decoction from it for colds. It is part of perfumes but also cleaning products, which it enriches with a beautiful lemon scent. We can enrich our bath with it, which will definitely refresh you.

Tropical lemongrass will help you concentrate

Lemongrass is useful for treating stomach problems, increasing concentration, supporting thinking, and headaches, and its scent also resembles the well-known lemon balm. It helps with flu and cold symptoms, has analgesic and antipyretic effects. We can also use it to treat fungal skin infections, nervous disorders, depression, to treat asthma, rheumatism and Helicobacter pylori infection. Lemongrass also has antioxidant effects that slow down aging.

It contains substances - essential oils, specifically citral, nerol, limonene, linalool and geraniol.

We can also use lemongrass in aromatherapy by boiling 1 level tablespoon of dried plant in 2 liters of water and placing the mixture in the room where we spend most of our time. The fragrant mixture will put you in a good mood and chase away stress and fatigue.

Lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus is a tropical exotic grass that grows to a height of 1 - 1.5 m. We grow it from seeds, which we pre-grow in a nursery bed during February - March. Then we plant the small plants in a pot, which we place on the balcony or in the garden. Lemongrass likes sunny places and plenty of moisture.

When the plant is strong enough, we can start cutting it. It is characterized by a lemon scent, but doesn't taste like lemon. We use lemongrass as a flavoring for exotic dishes, seafood or traditional Asian chicken.

Lemongrass has antibacterial, analgesic, antipyretic and antioxidant effects. Lemongrass will refresh and disinfect the air in your interior and is an effective repellent!