Lemongrass is a perennial culinary herb, grown for the flavor it brings to the kitchen, ready to harvest about 100 days after planting. It's hardy across USDA zones 10 through 11 and stands up to deer.
Lemongrass — the short answer
Lemongrass: grown in zones 10–11, full sun, pH 4.3–7.3, about 100 days to maturity.
- USDA zones
- 10–11
- Not verified — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox lists zones 8b–11b
- Soil pH
- 4.3–7.3
- FAO ECOCROP
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Days to Maturity
- 100 days
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Frost-kill temp (growing season)
- 32°F
- FAO ECOCROP
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Lemongrass on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether lemongrass actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score lemongrass against your land's real conditions.
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What Lemongrass is
Lemongrass grows as a perennial and reaches around four feet at maturity. It blooms green in summer. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Lemongrass
Lemongrass grows in USDA zones 10 through 11 and is ready to harvest about 100 days after planting. Lemongrass does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.3 to 7.3, on well-drained ground. It needs around 3,000 growing degree days to mature, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
10-11
Not verified — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox lists zones 8b–11b
Soil pH
4.3 - 7.3
FAO ECOCROP
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Kill Temperature
32°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
FAO ECOCROP
Minimum Growing Temperature
64.4°F
Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.
FAO ECOCROP
Days to Maturity
100 days
Growable Ground plant catalog
GDD Required
3000+
Growing degree-days of accumulated warmth it needs to mature — humid summers reach this faster than cool coastal ones.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
4 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant lemongrass in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
Lemongrass prefers pH 4.3 to 7.3 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at maturity
Lemongrass is ready about 100 days after planting. Snip sprigs as you need them — regular cutting keeps the foliage tender and slows it bolting to flower.
Where Lemongrass thrives
Lemongrass is hardy across USDA zones 10 through 11. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 10–11 spans average winter lows from 30°F to 50°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers none outright but splits 8 down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 10–11·Where Lemongrass growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Lemongrass stands, state by state
Lemongrass is rated for zones 10–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 30 to 40°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 0 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 8 more, and 43 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
The line runs through
8 states
- California · zones 4b-11a
- Nevada · zones 4a-10a
- Arizona · zones 5b-10b
3 of 8 shown
Lemongrass’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Lemongrass
Growing guides for lemongrass
In rotation planning, lemongrass counts as a Grass — beds recover best when grass crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — lemongrass is toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Lemongrass isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data — pair it with high-value bloomers nearby to feed bees.
Before you harvest lemongrass, know your soil
Anything you grow to eat takes up what's in the ground it grows in, so it's worth knowing what's documented near you before you plant lemongrass for food. Our free screen reads 8 federal source types across roughly 1.8M indexed sites and shows which sit near your address and which way they drain. It's a screening estimate from public records and proximity — not a soil test — so a nearby record means a soil test is worth it, not that your soil is unsafe.
Your land is one point inside Lemongrass's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Lemongrass will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether lemongrass actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Lemongrass
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Lemongrass in my zone?
Lemongrass grows in USDA hardiness zones 10 through 11. Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
How long does Lemongrass take to grow?
Lemongrass is ready to harvest about 100 days after planting. Your local frost dates and soil temperature move that window earlier or later.
When should you plant Lemongrass?
Most growers plant lemongrass after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Lemongrass need?
Lemongrass needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Lemongrass need?
Lemongrass prefers soil pH 4.3 to 7.3, on well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Lemongrass attract pollinators?
Lemongrass isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data. Pairing it with high-value bloomers nearby keeps bees and butterflies fed.
Is Lemongrass safe for pets?
Lemongrass is toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)