A clump-forming grass with a sharp citrus scent, grown for the tender stems at the heart of Southeast Asian cooking.
Lemongrass looks like an ornamental grass and behaves like one: a dense clump of arching, blade-like leaves that release a strong lemon scent when brushed. The edible part is the pale, swollen base of each stem, pounded or sliced into curries, soups and teas.
It is a tropical plant and wants warmth, so it grows best in a bright, sheltered spot and sulks below about 10°C. The easiest way to start one is from a supermarket stalk: stand a few fresh stems in a glass of water on a windowsill, change the water every couple of days, and roots usually appear within two weeks. Pot the rooted stems into rich compost and keep them consistently moist through the growing season.
In a cold climate it is treated as a tender perennial — brought indoors before the first frost, or grown in a pot that can move to shelter. Harvest by cutting whole stems at the base once they are pencil-thick; the clump regrows readily.
A succulent that stores its own water and asks for almost nothing in return — the classic starter plant for anyone who has killed everything else.
The knobbly rhizome behind so much cooking will sprout on a warm windowsill from a piece bought to eat.
Closely related to ginger and grown the same way, turmeric hides a vivid orange interior prized as a spice and dye.