Lemongrass, Cymbopogon citratus, is a perennial grass in the family Poaceae grown for its fragrant leaves and stalks which are used as a flavoring. The grass grows in dense clumps and has several stiff stems and slender blade-like leaves which droop towards the tips. The leaves are blue-green in color, turning red in the Fall and emit a strong lemon fragrance when damaged. Lemongrass produces large compound flowers on spikes when grown in the tropics, but rarely flowers when grown in more Northern latitudes. Lemon grass can reach a height of 1.8 m (6 ft) and will grow for several years, typically its economical lifespan is 4 years. Lemongrass may also be referred to as ginger grass or citronella grass and likely originates from Sri Lanka or Malaysia although a wild form of the plant is not known.