Plants
Lemongrass
Cymbopogon citratus · Poaceae
Lemongrass brings Thai cuisine to the balcony and windowsill: the thickened stem bases season curries, soups like tom kha gai and teas with their unmistakable citrus aroma. As a tropical grass it wants one thing above all — warmth. We buy our herb pots in vigorously branched nursery quality via the Veiling Rhein-Maas.
- Light
- Full sun — the warmer and brighter, the stronger the growth.
- Watering
- Generous — keep evenly moist, reduce markedly in winter quarters.
- Care level
- Medium
- Botanical
- Cymbopogon citratus
Cymbopogon citratus is a clump-forming tropical grass that reaches a good metre in a pot. The citrus aroma comes from the essential oil citral, most concentrated in the thickened, bulb-like stem bases — exactly the parts used in Asian cooking.
Harvest by cutting individual outer stalks close to the ground or easing them out with a gentle twist. The tender inner centimetres are finely sliced and eaten; the fibrous outer layers are bruised, cooked along and removed before serving. The leaf tips make a fine tea.
On siting, lemongrass is uncompromisingly tropical: full sun, warmth and even moisture. It may only go outside after the last spring frosts, and it stops growing once nights fall below ten degrees. A large pot with nutrient-rich soil and regular watering quickly thicken the clump.
Handy for propagation: fresh stalks bought at an Asian market often root in a glass of water within two to three weeks and can then be potted up — the easiest route to your own plants.
Frost is fatal, so lemongrass overwinters indoors, bright, at ten to fifteen degrees. Before that, cut the grass back to about ten to fifteen centimetres and water only sparingly through winter. From May the clump reshoots vigorously — often denser than the year before.
Is Lemongrass toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Non-toxic
- Cats
- Mildly irritating
- Dogs
- Mildly irritating
For people, lemongrass is an ordinary culinary herb. Cats and dogs can develop digestive upsets after eating larger amounts, and in cats the fibrous blades can additionally clump in the digestive tract. Concentrated lemongrass oil is far more problematic for pets and must be kept out of reach.
Typical symptoms: In pets after larger amounts: vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain; rarely in cats, fibre-related digestive blockages.
In an emergency:call the German poison control centre in Bonn on +49 228 19240 (24/7) — for pets, contact an emergency vet directly. This information does not replace medical or veterinary advice.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01A fully sunny, warm, wind-sheltered spot — outdoors only after the last spring frosts.
- 02Water generously and evenly; as a tropical grass it tolerates no dry root ball.
- 03Feed every two weeks from May to September.
- 04Harvest outer stalks close to the soil to thicken the clump.
- 05Bring indoors before the first frost and overwinter bright at ten to fifteen degrees.
- 06Divide in spring and pot into fresh, nutrient-rich soil.
Frequently asked
- Which part of lemongrass do you use in cooking?
- Mainly the lower, thickened third of the stalk. The tender core is finely sliced and eaten, while the tough outer layers are bruised, simmered along and removed before serving. The leaves can also be brewed into tea.
- Is lemongrass hardy?
- No, as a tropical plant it tolerates no frost at all. Before the first cold nights it is cut back to ten to fifteen centimetres and overwintered indoors, bright, at ten to fifteen degrees. From May it can go back outside.
- Is lemongrass toxic to cats or dogs?
- Mildly. Small nibbles are usually harmless, larger amounts can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, and the tough fibres can burden a cat's digestive tract. Far more dangerous is concentrated lemongrass essential oil — keep that safely locked away.
- Can you grow lemongrass from supermarket stalks?
- Yes, it works surprisingly well: place fresh stalks with an intact base in a glass of water and change the water every few days — roots appear after two to three weeks. Then pot into nutrient-rich soil and grow on warm and sunny.