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Lemon Grass

What is lemon grass?

· Sarah Mitchell

Key facts

Scientific name Cymbopogon citratus[1]
Genus Cymbopogon[2]
Family Poaceae[5]
Native to southern India and Ceylon[1]
Used for seasoning / cooking[1]

Lemongrass is a tropical grass in the genus *Cymbopogon*, commonly *Cymbopogon citratus*, used for its lemon-scented leaves and stalks in cooking and for its aromatic essential oil.

Context

Lemongrass is a grass in the genus *Cymbopogon*, with *Cymbopogon citratus* as a common species [1]. It is used for its lemon-scented foliage or flavoring, especially in cooking, and can also be the source of an aromatic essential oil [1]. Lemongrass is a tropical grass used especially in Southeast Asian cooking [3]. It is cultivated primarily for culinary use [4].

Documented claims

  • Lemongrass is a tropical grass used especially in Southeast Asian cooking. [3]
  • Lemongrass is cultivated primarily for culinary use. [4]
  • Lemongrass leaves and stalks are used as a flavoring. [1]
  • Lemongrass is used in tea and for fragrance. [2]

Questions and answers

What is lemongrass best used for?

Lemongrass is best used for seasoning and cooking, particularly in Southeast Asian dishes, and its leaves and stalks are used as a flavoring [1].

What are the benefits of lemongrass?

Lemongrass is used in tea and for fragrance, and it is a source of aromatic essential oil [2].

Sources

  1. Lemongrass — britannica.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. Lemon grass | Diseases and Pests, Description, Uses, Propagation — plantvillage.psu.edu (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. LEMONGRASS Definition & Meaning — merriam-webster.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  4. Lemongrass - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com — vocabulary.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  5. lemongrass — dictionary.cambridge.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Things