The complete guide to Cymbopogon
Lemongrass perfumes the world's great soups and teas; citronella keeps its mosquitoes at bay. Meet the two most famous members of the lemongrass family — and learn to grow, cook, and use them well.
Start here
Lemongrass and citronella share a genus, a citrusy aroma, and a love of tropical sun — but one is a kitchen icon and the other is a pest-repelling oil factory. Here's where each shines.
The tender white core of Cymbopogon citratus is indispensable in Thai tom yum, Vietnamese broths, Filipino tinola, Indian curries, and Caribbean bush tea. Its oil is up to 85% citral — the very molecule that smells like lemon.
Grown on thousands of tropical hectares for one reason: steam-distilled Cymbopogon nardus and C. winterianus yield citronella oil, the classic botanical mosquito repellent behind candles, sprays, and lotions worldwide.
Botany in brief
Cymbopogon (from Greek kymbe, "boat", and pogon, "beard") is a genus of about 55 aromatic grasses native to warm regions of Asia, Africa, and Australia. Their secret weapon is essential oil stored in cells along the leaf blades and leaf sheaths.
Bruise a blade and you release a burst of terpenes — citral for that unmistakable lemon note in lemongrass, citronellal and geraniol for the rosy-musky scent of citronella. In the wild, those compounds discourage hungry insects and grazing animals. For humans, they became flavoring, fragrance, folk medicine, and pest control.
What's inside
Nine pages cover everything from chromosome-level botany to tonight's dinner — and the global trade behind both grasses.
Varieties, flavor chemistry, culinary traditions, health research, and how to buy, store, and prep it.
Open pageCeylon vs Java types, how the oil is distilled, the real science of repellence, and safety essentials.
Open pageClimate, propagation from grocery-store stalks, container culture, feeding, harvesting, and overwintering.
Open pageLemongrass tea, tom yum–style soup, tinola, coconut rice, syrups — plus DIY citronella candles and sprays.
Open pageTaxonomy, aroma compounds, edibility, hardiness, and uses — plus a quick decision guide for growers.
Open page"Are they the same plant?", "Can I eat citronella?", "Will a candle really clear my patio?" — answered on the compare page.
Jump to FAQWho grows the world's supply, how value flows from village stills to retail shelves, and what one hectare can realistically earn.
Open pageHarvest timing, field handling, packaging formats, storage conditions, and the quality specs buyers check before paying.
Open pageBackyard culture, tinola and inasal classics, habagat-and-amihan growing, condo containers, and an honest look at citronella in dengue season.
Open page
"Lemongrass is the quiet backbone of Southeast Asian cooking — invisible in the bowl, unforgettable on the palate."
In the Philippines, lemongrass is called tanglad. It's bruised whole and dropped into soups like lemongrass "bouquet garni", then fished out before serving.
The "citronella plant" sold at garden centers is often Pelargonium citrosum, a scented geranium — not true citronella grass, and a far weaker repellent.
Lemongrass stalks from the supermarket will often root in a glass of water — one of the easiest edible plants to propagate from kitchen scraps.
FAQ
No — they're close cousins in the same genus (Cymbopogon) but different species. Culinary lemongrass is usually Cymbopogon citratus; citronella grass is Cymbopogon nardus or Cymbopogon winterianus. They look similar but differ in aroma chemistry, edibility, and purpose.
In the kitchen, no. Citronella grass is coarse, strongly resinous, and considered non-culinary. If a recipe needs lemongrass, use lemongrass — or see the substitution notes on our Uses & Recipes page.
Only modestly. The plant must be crushed, bruised, or distilled to release meaningful amounts of oil, and studies show living plants give limited protection. Candles and diffused oils work better within a small radius — details on our Citronella page.
Not at all in warm climates, and quite easy anywhere if grown in pots that move indoors for winter. Start with our Growing Guide — many gardeners begin with a rooted supermarket stalk.
Here for dinner inspiration, or plotting a mosquito-free patio? Either way, the guide has your next step.