Cymbopogon citratus is widely abundant in Southeast Asia, but can now be found growing across the world. Its fragrant leaves have found their way into traditional cooking. The dried leaves when brewed make a refreshing tea with a lemony taste and mild sweetness. In Sri Lanka, lemongrass is known as sera (සේර) and is a common herb used in cooking and essential oils. In Thailand, it is called takhrai (ตะไคร้) and is an essential ingredient in the popular dishes tom yam and tom kha kai. It can be added via sachet to broths, stews, or other boiled foods to impart its lemony flavor.
Apart from its culinary uses, lemongrass has been used for centuries in traditional medicine. Its leaves are often found in herbal supplements and teas. Lemongrass hydrosol is often used in skincare products. An infusion of C. citratus has been used as a remedy for oral thrush. In the folk medicine of the Krahô people of Brazil, it is believed to have anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, and sedative properties. In traditional medicine of India, the plant is used as an analgesic, anticatarrhal, antimicrobial, carminative, febrifuge, and sedative. The plant is known to increase perspiration and relieve spasms, making it useful for treating digestive problems. It can be used to treat minor feverish illnesses.
Lemongrass is also known for its spiritual and psychic properties. It is believed to cleanse your space, increase your intuition, and to remove negative emotions among family, friends, and colleagues. It can remove past resentment and feuds that no longer serve any purpose, and help you leave behind destructive relationships. It enhances mental focus, repels spite, protects against malice and gossip, and brings passion. It is also associated with non-binary gender and can be used explore one’s relationship to gender.
Additionally, beekeepers sometimes use lemongrass oil in swarm traps to attract swarms. Lemongrass oil has also been tested for its ability to repel the pestilent stable fly, which bite domestic animals.
It should be warned that some people are allergic to lemongrass. There is limited evidence that it might be abortifacient, and thus is not recommended for those who are pregnant or intend to become pregnant.
We wholesale our cut lemongrass leaves from a tea supplier who sources from a grower in Petchabun, Thailand. Our supplier has extremely high standards for their growers not only in quality of product and method of production but also in the treatment of workers, who are required to be given a fair wage, fair work hours, housing, medical care, and access to education. Because we repackage our herbs, they are not considered safe for consumption according to Canadian health regulations, and thus they are NOT sold for consumption. These are for spiritual/metaphysical purposes only. All references we make to consuming them is for educational purposes only.
25 g of loosely packed cut, dried lemongrass leaves can be close to ⅔ cup, depending on the batch. All our items ship from our booth at the 400 Market in Innisfil. To order an unavailable size or to order bulk or wholesale, please contact us at witchplz@icloud.com or by using the "Chat" button in the bottom corner. All our prices are inclusive of sales tax within Canada.
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Cymbopogon
Species: C. citratus
Alt names: citronella grass, sweet root, West Indian lemon grass
Parts used: leaves, oil, stalks
Consituents: citral, citronellal, citronellol, geraniol, linalool, myrcene
Chakra: solar plexus
Energy: receptive
Number: 2, 6, 11
Zodiac: Gemini
Planet: Mercury
Element: Air
Day: Wednesday
Tarot: Suit of Swords
Deities & Spirits: Airmid
Medicine: analgesic, antibacterial, anti-catarrh, antifungal, antispasmodic, carminative, sedative, induce sweating
Powers: fidelity, intuition, passion, protection, psychic ability, purification, shamanic
