Herbs, Lemongrass - Cymbopogon flexuosus

Culinary strain of lemongrass, native to Southeast Asia, used in food and medicine there for millennia, and adopted worldwide for the bright lemony flavor it imparts. Coarse grass sets 6–12 harvestable stalks, looking something like pencil leeks, slightly bulbous at the base. Harvest the tough stalks low; the plants will re-grow, though probably only to 3' here in Maine rather than the 6' achieved in the tropics. Use chopped or ground, fresh, dried or frozen, add to soups, sauces and stir-fries, or make into a delicious medicinal tea to aid digestion., grown as an annual in our climate unless potted up and brought indoors for the winter. Not a great germinator; 40% is considered good. Sow indoors and transplant out 8–12" apart.

Height: 3-6'

Hardiness: Perennial to zone 9-11

Days to Maturity: 4 months