Lemon grass

          Lemongrass ( Cymbopogon citratus ) is a tropical grass that grows in dense clumps up to six feet high and equally as wide. Though it flourishes in tropical climates, lemongrass is cultivated in abundance in California. The sharp straplike leaves are about an inch wide and droop gracefully. The evergreen leaves are bright bluish-green and release a citrus aroma when crushed - it is the leaves that are used to extract lemongrass oil for medicine and perfumery. The lemony aroma from lemongrass comes from citral, an antibacterial, antiseptic and antiviral essential oil; it is used to relieve stress, soothe aches and pains, as an insect repellent and deodorizer, and to treat disorders of the digestive tract. Small lemongrass plants can occasionally be found in the herb section of our local nurseries; though they often come in small two-inch pots, under ideal conditions the plant's clumping habit will quickly propagate sufficient stalks for your Thai recipes.
          Lemongrass is in the grass family (Poaceae) and is native to India and the nearby island of Sri Lanka. In Davis' subtropical climate, plants can be grown outdoors year 'round in areas of bright light, though they may scorch in full unprotected sun. Lemongrass prefers fertile loamy soil, but is tolerant of other soil types given sufficient moisture... this plant is somewhat drought intolerant, especially when planted in pots.
Lemongrass is a tender perennial that suffers leaf damage from frost and will die back to the roots in a hard freeze. Propagate this plant by division in spring and summer. To harvest your lemongrass, dig up a clump, separate the sections, and either replant what you don't need or share it with a friend. Most Thai recipes use the light colored stalk base, but the leaves can be used for a variety of other recipes or as an air freshener; stalks can be frozen until ready for use.
          For a listing of other plants found growing in Davis, visit our Town Flora and Culinary Plants pages. (From Daviswiki)
          Lemongrass is native to India and tropical Asia. It is widely used as an herb in Asian cuisine. It has a subtle citrus flavor and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh. Lemongrass is commonly used in teas, soups, and curries. It is also suitable for poultry, fish, beef, and seafood. It is often used as a tea in African countries such as Togo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Latin American countries such as Mexico. Lemongrass oil is used as a pesticide and a preservative. Research shows that lemongrass oil has anti-fungal properties. Despite its ability to repel insects, its oil is commonly utilized as a "lure" to attract honey bees. "Lemongrass works conveniently as well as the pheromone created by the honeybee's nasonov gland, also known as attractant pheromones. Because of this, lemongrass oil can be used as a lure when trapping swarms or attempting to draw the attention of hived bees."
          Citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus and Cymbopogon winterianus) grows to about 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) and has red base stems. These species are used for the production of citronella oil, which is used in soaps, as an insect repellent (especially mosquitoes) in insect sprays and candles, and also in aromatherapy, which is famous in Bintan Island, Indonesia. Therefore it's assumed that its origin is from Indonesia. The principal chemical constituents of citronella, geraniol and citronellol, are antiseptics, hence their use in household disinfectants and soaps. Besides oil production, citronella grass is also used for culinary purposes, in tea and as a flavoring.
          Citronella is usually planted in home gardens in order to ward off insects such as whitefly. Its cultivation enables growing some vegetables (e.g. tomatoes and broccoli), without applying pesticides. Intercropping should include physical barriers, for citronella roots can take over the field.
          Lemon Grass Oil, used as a pesticide and preservative, is put on the ancient palm-leaf manuscripts found in India as a preservative. It is used at the Oriental Research Institute Mysore, the French Institute of Pondicherry, the Association for the Preservation of the Saint Thomas Christian Heritage in Kerala and many other manuscript collections in India. The lemon grass oil also injects natural fluidity into the brittle palm leaves and the hydrophobic nature of the oil keeps the manuscripts dry so that the text is not lost to decay due to humidity.
          East-Indian Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon flexuosus), also called Cochin Grass or Malabar Grass (Malayalam: ഇഞ്ചിപ്പുല്ല്(inchippullu), is native to Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, Burma,and Thailand while the West-Indian lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) is native to maritime Southeast Asia. It is known as serai in Malaysia and Brunei, serai or sereh in Indonesia, and tanglad in the Philippines. While both can be used interchangeably, C. citratus is more suited for cooking. In India C. citratus is used both as a medical herb and in perfumes. Cymbopogon citratus is consumed as a tea for anxiety in Brazilian folk medicine, but a study in humans found no effect. The tea caused a recurrence of contact dermatitis in one case.
          Lemon grass is also known as Gavati Chaha (गवती चहा) in the Marathi language (Gavat=grass; Chaha=tea), and is used as an addition to tea, and in preparations like 'kadha,' which is a traditional herbal 'soup' used against coughs, colds, etc. It has medicinal properties and is used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine. It is supposed to help with relieving cough and nasal congestion.
          In Kerala, lemon grass is steeped as an herbal tea called "Chukku Kaapi", literally "dried ginger coffee". (From Wikipedia)

Vegetable juice is recommended
- Lemon grass water