Finally figured out the difference between repellant Citronella (Cymbopogon nardus) and edible Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) plants, both are from the Cymbopogon family commonly referred to as lemongrass. In Chinese, they are all called ้ฆ่ ่ใ
I have both plants in my garden. The one that flowers now is Citronella, not Lemongrass. Here are some photos to show the difference between the two.
For further information in Chinese
http://www.zwbk.org/MyLemmaShow.aspx?zh=zh-tw&lid=163596
For further information in English http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymbopogon
Lemongrass
Citronella
Lemongrass
Citronella
Citronella flower
Thank you for such a clear explanation, the pictures make it even plainer
You are most welcome. It is for my journey of discovery.
Thank you for the explanation, I want just one more explanation. Is the bottom part of the stalk of citronella purplish and lemon grass green?
Please do reply ๐
I am not sure if the colour of the root is the differentiating point. When both plants are young it is hard to tell except for the aroma. Citronella plant can grow to 2m tall while lemongrass at its tallest is no more than 1m tall. The major difference is in the aroma.
Thank you so much ๐
yes
Muy util la explicaciรณn, gracias!
Thank you! Now I know the difference between lemongrass and citronella ๐
Here in Indonesia we use lemongrass for almost all of Indonesian cuisine, but I don’t know about citronella. They look almost same. Is Citronella edible too? Thank you.
Citronella is not edible. It is used to distill citronella oil. Lemongrass is the edible type used in Southeast Asian cooking.
Thank you for differentiating both !!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for the clear clarification.I have both the plants in my garden.
Can make a juice from citronella leaves?it is safe to drink?
I would not recommend making a juice out of citronella leaves.