Making lemongrass tea is very easy and a great way to Keep from getting sick when you feel a cold coming on. Get fresh lemongrass stalks from your local Asian grocery mart for like a dollar or two for 3 stalks. Then cut some up into small (about half inch pieces) and put them into water. Boil on medium heat for about 15 minutes. The smell may be considered too potent for some, if you or anyone else you reside with finds it unpleasant just open a window. Strain the grass bits out and drink the liquid as a tea. This works better the fresher the lemongrass, and doesn’t work very well if it’s frozen from my tests. Consider growing some in your yard if you have the space, it’s extremely low maintenance and VERY drought tolerant (no need to water it). Then you can just cut some off whenever you want to enjoy some lemongrass tea, and since it’s right fresh of the plant you’ll have the highest myrcene content (the active medicinal ingredient).

Myrcene is scientifically proven to be an effective analgesic in rats, as noted on PubMed.gov:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1753786

Lemongrass is also an effective analgesic, anti-depressant, anti-microbial, anti-pyretic, antiseptic, astringent, bactericidal, carminative, deodorant, diuretic, febrifuge, fungicide, galactogogue, insecticide, sedative and tonic.

If you plan to grow it look for stalks which still have part of the root at the bottom, or ask a store clerk they can generally help with this. To grow it just put a stalk into a glass with a couple of inches of water and place by a window sill for as long as a couple weeks and keep checking for roots starting to grow at the bottom. Once they are starting you can just plant it in the ground. Plant it somewhere where it will have plenty of room to grow, because it keeps dividing and will be a few feet in diameter before long. Trim some off of the tops of the blades regularly, and if a friend ever wants to plant some just yank one of the stalks to the side a bit until it disconnects from the rest and give it to them, then they can do the same thing with the glass of water at their house. Trimming a little off of the top regularly is great for it, so feel free whenever you want, but don’t feel obligated as this truly is one of the most maintenance free plants in the garden. Requires full sun and absolutely can not freeze. Below freezing weather will kill it. Those in climates where it gets below freezing can grow it in containers and bring inside whenever frost is expected. Needs full sun so pick the place in your yard that gets the most sun possible.