Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
lemongrass (zones 10-11) does not overlap with Maryland's zone range (5b-8a). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
Lemongrass is hardy to zone 10, and the warmest ground in Maryland is zone 8 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Maryland winter. To grow it here, grow lemongrass under glass — a greenhouse is the only lift this wide the engine models.
A greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 10-11 (plant) against 6-8 (Maryland). Lift modeled by crop_engine Sprint 20B effective_zone_modifier (+2 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Maryland spans zones 5b-8a, but your yard sits in exactly one — and slope, tree cover, and cold-air pockets nudge it further. Enter your address and we'll score lemongrass against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Lemongrass Needs
- USDA Zones: 10-11
- Frost-Free Days: 120+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 4 ft tall
- Picking window: ~120 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
Maryland Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 18 - Mar 29
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 11 - Nov 27
- Annual Rainfall: 36-48 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Clay, Sandy loam (Eastern Shore)
Plant Zone Range (zones 10-11)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Lemongrass in Maryland
The frost window
Across Maryland, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 18 and Mar 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 11 and Nov 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 227-day window you can count on — up to 254 days on a mild site in a kind year. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost, so tender transplants usually wait another 2-3 weeks.
Frost tenderness
Lemongrass is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 64.4°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so set plants out two to three weeks PAST your local last hard freeze, not on it and not on the state's earliest date. The 28°F marker above is when killing freezes stop, not when light frost does.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when lemongrass goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 10 weeks ahead, so counting back from Maryland's late-side last freeze of Mar 29 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Grown as an annual here
Lemongrass is a true perennial in its home range — it overwinters from USDA zone 8 and warmer (NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder) — but Maryland runs as cold as zone 5, so it is killed back each winter and replanted each spring. Treat it on the season schedule above, not as a permanent planting: there is no fall establishment window for it here.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Garrett County, not the statewide average.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: USDA PLANTS Database. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says lemongrass does not survive a Maryland winter in the ground. The season figures below measure a different question — whether it could finish a season here at all — and they only bear on Maryland under protection.
Frost-free days
Lemongrass wants 120+ frost-free days; a typical Maryland site sees ~238 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Lemongrass needs ~3000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~3789 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Maryland's typical season clears that easily.
GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Lemongrass tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.3-7.3) — 3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Maryland. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5 and 5.8 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Maryland soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Maryland site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 16.1% of Maryland as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Lemongrass has low drought tolerance, so it is the fast-draining end that will cost you — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Maryland soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Lemongrass in Maryland — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 10-11 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Mar 18 - Mar 29 to Nov 11 - Nov 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 100 days
What Else to Consider for Lemongrass in Maryland
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Maryland growers also need to think about:
Heavy Piedmont clay drains poorly
Humidity and heat in summer promote disease
Deer pressure in suburban areas is extreme
Growing lemongrass here specifically
Lemongrass needs sharp drainage and sends medium roots hardy to about 64°F; in Maryland, about 16.1% of soils are poorly-drained (SSURGO), and standing water is what actually kills it.
Build lemongrass up on a coarse, free-draining mound so its crown never sit in saturated soil. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Maryland grower, not just lemongrass — is covered on the Maryland growing guide.
Timing shifts within Maryland
Maryland isn't one climate. In Garrett County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 22 — roughly 29 days later than the recorded state median — so plant lemongrass to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Lemongrass needs about 120 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Garrett County — Maryland’s shortest season at 190 frost-free days — clears that by 70 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Maryland. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Maryland’s 24 counties the frost-free season runs from 190 days in Garrett County to 270 days in Talbot County — a spread of 80 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Maryland county sees 238 frost-free days, leaving lemongrass about 118 days of slack on a typical parcel — room for a second sowing where the season runs long.
County last-freeze dates and frost-free day counts: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). Lemongrass's 120-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Recommended Lemongrass Varieties for Maryland
Maryland publishes no state variety trial for lemongrass, so we won't invent a "best for Maryland" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (5b-8a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Maryland Cooperative Extension
For Maryland-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for lemongrass, the canonical source is University of Maryland Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Lemongrass native to Maryland?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Lemongrass as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Maryland's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Maryland natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Maryland growing guide lists USDA-documented natives for the state.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing Lemongrass in Maryland
When can I plant Lemongrass in Maryland?
Maryland's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 18 and Mar 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 11 and Nov 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Lemongrass overwinters only from USDA zone 8 and warmer, and Maryland runs as cold as zone 5, so it is grown as an annual here — plant it after the last hard freeze, two to three weeks later for tender stock, and expect to replant next spring rather than establishing it for the long term.
What hardiness zone is Lemongrass grown in across Maryland?
Maryland spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Lemongrass carries a range of zones 10-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Maryland site have?
A typical Maryland site sees ~238 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Lemongrass needs 120+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Garrett, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Lemongrass native to Maryland?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Lemongrass as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Maryland's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Maryland natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Lemongrass in Maryland?
Lemongrass tolerates pH 4.3-7.3 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Maryland site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Lemongrass actually grow on my specific land in Maryland?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores lemongrass against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Maryland
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores lemongrass against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Maryland lemongrass averages can't show:
We read public map data around Maryland — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Maryland lemongrass average
Explore More
Growing guides for lemongrass
Analysis by the Growable Ground research team, grounded in USDA PLANTS, USDA NRCS SSURGO, NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020), and named Cooperative Extension sources. How we know →
Cite this dataset
Kirchick, M. (2026). Growable Ground Plant Database [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21435643
Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21435643
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