Forest & Kim Starr
Plant Common Name
Puckery, cold lemonade and tart, sweet pies are modern pleasures made from the fruits of Citrus limon: the lemon tree. However, lemons have been used for centuries and prized for their medicinal qualities. The true origin of lemons is unknown, but most likely from the northwestern reaches of India. The trees have moved with civilization and burgeoning transportation routes around the globe. It is said Christopher Columbus brought lemon seeds with him to Hispaniola in 1493, and it was among the first fruits Spaniards introduced to St. Augustine, Florida.
Lemon trees are medium to large, evergreen and have sharp thorns on their branches and twigs. The fragrant leaves are elliptical to oval and often have winged petioles (leaf stems). The flowers are born throughout the year, on many varieties, or heavily in the spring. Solitary or a few grouped flower buds are produced in the leaf axils (joint between the leaf and stem). The flower buds are red to purple-hued opening to reveal white, fragrant blooms. Highly variable, fragrant fruit is usually oval with a protuberance at the end. Fruit is generally yellow and has thick leathery skin dotted with oil glands and juicy flesh with or without many seeds. There are a multitude of lemon varieties available, each with a best use from commercial production to backyard orchards. Most lemons are grafted on to rootstocks, which impart tolerances to local soil, pest and climate conditions as well as preserving the desired varietal characteristics.
Lemon trees are more cold sensitive than other citrus. They prefer warm, dry winters, cool summers and can only tolerate a few degrees below freezing for a few hours. They require full sun and are tolerant of most soil conditions, even poor soils, as long as it is very well drained. The trees are somewhat drought tolerant once established, but must have regular applications of water for good fruit production. Citrus trees are heavy feeders and require regular applications of fertilizer. Lemons ripen individually and are harvested by hand as the fruits mature.
No backyard orchard in subtropical and tropical zones is complete without at least one variety of a prolific-bearing and long-lived lemon. Lemons make great tub or conservatory specimens where not hardy.
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
USDA Hardiness Zone
9 - 12
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Full Sun, Partial Sun
4'-25' / 1.2m - 7.6m
5'-15' / 1.5m - 4.6m
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical
Sharp or Has Thorns