Lemongrass
Lemongrass: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Culinary lemongrass, Cymbopogon citratus, is an aromatic grass in the Poaceae family. This tropical perennial forms a dense clump of long, narrow leaves, initially upright and then arching. Overlapping leaf bases create the thickened sections often called stalks in the kitchen. Its overall appearance is very different from that of small-leaved herbs, even when their fragrance also recalls lemon. The foliage and the thickened bases both contribute to the plant’s culinary appeal.The leaves are linear, green to slightly greyish, with parallel veins. They give the clump a soft, fountain-like outline, while the thickened bases remain grouped near the ground. New shoots arising from the base gradually increase the size of the plant. Height and density depend on its development and growing conditions; a young clump has a different scale from an established plant in a warm climate.Common names can create confusion. Lemon balm, Melissa officinalis, belongs to the mint family…
