Lemon Tree: The Classic Citrus for Fruit, Fragrance & Foliage

• 
• 
• 
• 

• Family:	Rutaceae (roo-TAY-see-ee) (Info)
  Genus:	Citrus (SIT-rus) (Info)
  Species:	limon (LEE-mon) (Info)

Overview

The Lemon (Citrus limon) is the archetypal citrus tree: a small, evergreen, thorny (usually) tree cultivated worldwide for its **intensely acidic, vitamin C-rich fruit**, fragrant flowers, and glossy foliage. Likely a hybrid of citron and bitter orange originating in northeast India or China, it has been a culinary, medicinal, and cultural icon for millennia.

Tree Habit & Foliage

A spreading, irregularly branched tree, 10–20 feet tall (smaller on dwarfing rootstocks). Leaves are alternate, elliptic, 2.5–4.5 inches long, **glossy dark green, leathery, and aromatic** (petiole often winged). New growth is often reddish. Flowers are **solitary or in small clusters**, white with purple-tinged undersides, intensely fragrant (orange blossom scent). Bloom can occur year-round in warm climates, peaking in spring.

Fruit & Uses

The fruit is an ellipsoid to ovoid hesperidium (berry), 2–4 inches long, with a **thick, aromatic, yellow peel (flavedo)** rich in essential oils (limonene) and a juicy, highly acidic pulp (5–6% citric acid) divided into segments. Varieties include 'Eureka' (main commercial, year-round, few seeds), 'Lisbon' (more cold-hardy, thorny, winter crop), 'Meyer' (sweeter, thin-skinned, hybrid), and 'Ponderosa' (huge, thick-skinned). Uses are endless: juice, zest, preservative, cleaning, cosmetics, medicine, beverages.

Culture & Hardiness

**USDA Zones 9–11** (some protection in 9a). **Full sun, well-drained soil, regular water, citrus fertilizer.** Intolerant of flooding, salinity, and freezing (damage below 28–30°F / -2 to -1°C). In marginal zones, grow in containers and overwinter indoors in bright light. Prune to shape, remove suckers, and improve air flow. Pests: citrus leaf miner, scale, aphids, citrus greening (HLB). The lemon tree is a rewarding, fragrant, productive addition to any frost-free or container garden.