how hardy is lemon grass?

[Dianna Visek]

How much cold can lemon grass take?

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[David Hare-Scott]

Not very much, it is a tropical/subtropical plant.. A frost will burn all the leaves off, with luck it will re-shoot from the roots in spring. Heavy mulching will help it survive frost. I have no experience of snow or freezing conditions but my guess is that it would probably die.

David

[Dianna Visek]

That's interesting. Some sites on the web say it can't go below 32. Others say it's zone 9, which would mean down to 20.

Thanks, Dianna

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[Mike Blake-Knox]

Here's a data point:

When we lived in Durham, NC (USDA Zone 7) lemongrass normally died over the winter but did survive one year.

Mike

[tigre]

I grow lemon grass in the Sacramento Valley here in Calif. It dies back in the winter, if it is to cold, but comes back in the spring. Usually the biggest problem is not from freezing but rot incouraged by wet foggy weather. Sometimes we get a lot of tule fog here.

I buy it at the local asian market. When I get home, I place it in a container with water in it and let it set on the window sill. After a coulple of weeks it will send out roots. I then transplant it in any location I chose. It likes water and warmth. It is Nov. here and it is still going strong. Come Jan. it well be a differnt story. I use it as a marinate in my BBQ pork or beef dishes.

I hope this info helps.

I buy lem>>> That's interesting. Some sites on the web say it can't go below 32.