Poaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Cymbopogon obtectus

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Perennial

Growth—

Species in this genus generally grow best in a sunny position in a moisture-retentive but well-drained soil. Many of them are found in dry soils in the wild^[1]. The plant is ornamental when in flower and is grown in gardens^[2]. The plant is lemon-scented, especially in the older growth^[2].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow or only just cover, sowing the seeds in trays in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots at the 3 - 4 leaf stage and grow on for at least their first winter under glass. Plant out when in active growth in early summer and consider giving some winter protection for the first year or two. Division of established clumps. This is best done annually or they can become too crowded and suffer. The offshoots of this species often fail to establish^[3]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Cymbopogon+obtectus>

Pollinators

Wind

References

[1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[2]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
[3]Plant Resources of Southeast Asia — http://proseanet.org/ ↩︎Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
[4]Bush Foods of New South Wales — Stewart S.; Percival B. · Royal Botanic gardens; Sydney, Australia. · 1997 · http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/education/Resources/bush_foods · ISBN 07313-0004-1 ↩︎A small booklet with information on more than 30 species of edible plants. It can be downloaded from the Internet.