Lemongrass

Lemon grass, Cymbopogon citratus and Cymbopogon flexuosus, is an unusual tropical grass as an essential flavoring in South East Asian cooking. Its bright lemony scent is used in drinks, curries and soups. It is delicious in tea with cloves. It's rich in vitamin A. Its oil also has many industrial and medicinal uses.

Lemon grass is native to India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia. C. citratus is referred to as West Indian, C. flexuosus as East Indian, Cochin or Malabar. Other common names are fever grass or citronella grass. There are over 50 species in the genus. Both of the common species are fast growing perennials that grow to 3 to 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide. They have long, light green leaves and inconspicuous flowers.