Lemon grass, a grassy perennial herb, contains one of nature’s most satisfyingly lemony flavorings. Lovers of Thai and Indian food will already be familiar with the strong but subtle taste of this grass relative, which combines the zest of lemon with a spicy, ginger-like bite reminiscent of galangal (an Asian ginger relative).

Since lemon grass is native to several tropical countries, including Southeast Asia, Brazil, and parts of South Africa, the culinary influence of this humble herb is significant. Though quietly attractive, lemon grass doesn’t look particularly exotic. Here in the Pacific Northwest, this clumping perennial grass won’t always reach the five feet height it can achieve in warmer countries. However, in a single season, a small clump will become a generous one, with arching, blue-green foliage that deliciously scents the garden with lemon on warm, still days.

In late summer and fall, lemon grass blooms in loose, fawn colored sprays above the leaves. While it flowers freely in warm, inland parts of the region, this is a shy bloomer in cool, coastal gardens. Lemon grass rarely blooms at all in greenhouses, so don’t worry if your indoor plants never flower. In gardens, lemon grass thrives in open situations where it has plenty of room. This makes it a better candidate for the vegetable patch than for the border, although it does fine in uncrowded beds of any kind.

To promote tender new growth in short order, give lemon grass humus-rich garden soil with good tilth and quick drainage. This moderate plant likes just enough of everything; it grows slowly in dry soils, and although it appreciates prefers regular watering, it sulks in constantly damp soils. It does not need artificial fertilizing, though a handful of aged compost, dairy manure, and alfalfa pellets will give lemon grass (and almost anything else) a terrific boost in late spring. If growth flags in dry summers, treat it to a drink of manure and compost tea each week and you can almost watch the new growth appear.

Overwintering Techniques

Lemon grass is not hardy in the Northwest, so if you want to carry over your plant for another season, you'll need to bring it indoors as summer wanes. Temperatures below 50 degrees F can damage or kill lemon grass, so don't wait until the first frost has hit or you may lose your plant. To transplant lemon grass, simply dig the entire clump and transfer it to a generous pot. Be sure to use a deep layer of gravel at the base, to ensure good drainage. Cover the gravel with a layer of weed cloth to keep the soil from clogging the gravel (tuck the extra cloth up, not down, to keep soil snugly in place). A small handful of activated charcoal (the kind used in fish tank filters) will prevent the soil from compacting and turning sour in large pots. Use a light soil mixture, preferably home made or organically certified. (This is especially important when you intend to eat your crop.) As always, avoid using peat moss, which dries out quickly and is difficult to re-wet indoors or out.

In a cool greenhouse, lemon grass will grow slowly. Brought indoors and grown on a sunny windowsill in the kitchen, it may not even slow down, and can continue to produce new growth without a break. However, plants brought indoors often show some shock symptoms, either dropping some leaves or yellowing. Do not feed or overwater your transplant to try to "fix" these symptoms. Just give it as much light as you can, provide regular (but not excessive) watering), and wait. If the rootball has not been damaged, the lemon grass will soon adjust to its new home.
If you want to divide your lemon grass, wait until spring to cut up the mother plant. Few grasses divide well in fall, and this tender perennial is especially resentful of fall division. Leave in intact until after the spring solstice. When vigorous new growth appear, you can tease the large clump into several (or many) smaller ones, each with strong healthy roots. Reset in pots or plant out in the garden after your region's final frost.

Watch Your Eyes

When you harvest lemon grass, be sure to wear both gloves and eye protection such as goggles (which should be worn when weeding or working around any of the larger grasses). That's because many grasses, including lemon grass, contain traces of silica (a glass ingredient) that give their rough edged blades true slicing power. It's painful to slice open a finger on the sharp blades, but eye damage from grass foliage can cause serious, lasting damage (and is sadly not uncommon).

Harvesting Lemon Grass

Grown indoors or out, the grassy leaves become almost cane-like at the lower end, with a swollen, bulb-like base. Above this, the hardened foliage wraps about itself like a woody leek. To harvest, you simply remove what looks like a single "bulb" each time you want to use lemon grass in a recipe. If you accidentally pull up a cluster of them, as occasionally happens, you can simply reset them and grow them on as a new clump. You can also bring them indoors and keep them in a glass of water for up to a week, harvesting bits as you need them.

In the Kitchen

The tender new growth is generally sliced finely and added in modest quantities (start with half a teaspoon) to stir fries, soups, and similar quickly cooked dishes. A few paper-thin slices will to add a distinctive lemon-and-gingery snap to sauces. Tougher, woody stems are frequently added in one-inch slices to longer cooking curries and stews. Very often, they are accompanied by equally tough lime leaves. These tough chunks and leaves are not meant to be eaten, and if you don't want to have to fish them out of each serving, tie them loosely into a mesh bag or a piece of muslin. You can then remove the whole thing before serving.

The woody lemon grass stems are also sliced more thinly and steeped to make a refreshing morning tea. Try mixing a few slices with spearmint and chamomile flowers for a soothing evening blend. Lemon grass also blends well with thyme and hyssop, making a pleasing tonic that in the folk medicine of India was long considered to have tonic, cleansing properties. (Both thyme and lemon grass contain natural antiseptics.)

Tips and Techniques

Each of lemon grass's several uses has its own culinary technique for preparation. If you want to infuse a soup, broth, or tea with lemon grass, select a small clump (what looks like a single "bulb") with a plump, firm base. Use the flat of a wide knife to lightly crush the entire stalk with the weight of your hand, just as you press garlic cloves to release the peel. Now slice the stalk into inch-long pieces. Toss these into your broth or use the bag method described above. The longer the pieces are left to steep, the stronger and more complex the resulting flavor will be.

If you want to use lemon grass in a stir fry, sauce, marinade, or fresh in salads, you'll need to mince the stalks quite finely. The greater the surface area, the more flavoring oils are released into quickly prepared or uncooked foods. The tender, fat part of the "bulb" is first slices, then minced with a rolling motion to create slender tidbits. Discard any long, stringy pieces that are hard to chop.

To potentiate the flavor in quick stir fry dishes, sizzle minced lemon grass in hot oil with garlic and chopped ginger or milder galangal root. For a lighter couch of zest, add the minced lemon grass with the most tender vegetables and cilantro, allowing it to cook for a mere minute. To infuse salad oil with lemon grass, steep slivered pieces in whichever oil you prefer, then mix with vinegar to make a light dressing. You can also scatter slivered pieces over a fresh salad or on top of soup for a garnish with zingy "bite".

In The Bath

Lemon grass is rich in essential oils, some of which can be extracted by steeping finely cut young growth in grape seed or olive oil for a week. Add a few twigs of rosemary to the oil to make a relaxing massage oil. Add sparingly to the tub for a refreshing and deodorizing soak (especially pleasing after cleaning out the chicken coop or spreading manure). This modified oil has a lighter scent than a pure essential oil, which is too strong for many noses to appreciate.

Lemon Grass For Pets

Finely chopped lemon grass can be scattered in pet beds and car blankets to reduce animal odors. Lemon grass oils are sometimes used to repel fleas and ticks. If your pets suffer from either problem (or just plain smell bad), take them outside and rub them with a mixture of freshly grated grapefruit peel, chopped rosemary foliage, and minced lemon grass. Work from the face area back to the tail and watch the fleas bailing ship! (That's why you do this outside.)

copyright 1999 Ann Lovejoy for Log House Plants