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Lemon

Citrus limon

Lemons bloom several times a year, so one tree often carries flowers, green fruit and ripe fruit at once. True lemons like Eureka and Lisbon are cold-tender; the Meyer, a lemon hybrid, is sweeter, hardier and the most popular backyard lemon in the South.

Tree facts

Scientific name
Citrus limon
Origin
Northeast India, northern Myanmar and southern China
Tree size
10–20 ft; Meyer stays 6–10 ft
Growth rate
Medium
Sun
Full sun, at least 6–8 hours
Soil
Any soil that drains well, including sand. Never waterlogged; plant high where water stands.
Soil pH
6.0–7.5
Pollination
Self-fertile; one tree is enough
Cold hardiness
True lemons are damaged near 28°F; established Meyer lemons take the low 20s
USDA zones
9b–11 (Meyer 9a; anywhere in a pot brought indoors)
Years to first fruit
2–3 for a grafted tree
Season
Year-round
Water
About every 7 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young
Feeding
About every 60 days, Feb–Oct
Pruning
Mar–May
Taste
Sour and bright; Meyer is sweeter and less acidic, with a floral note
Nutrition
Very high in vitamin C

Is lemon safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts

What you can eat

  • Juice
  • Zest of the peel
  • Whole fruit, salt-preserved

Toxic parts and cautions

  • Take care: Citrus juice or peel oil left on the skin in strong sun can cause a burn-like rash that darkens the skin for weeks (phytophotodermatitis). Wash your hands after peeling or squeezing fruit outdoors.
  • Good to know: Lemon juice is very acidic. Sipping it through the day can wear down tooth enamel; rinse with water afterward.
  • Good to know: Most true lemons have sharp thorns. Wear gloves when pruning.

Pets: The peel, leaves and seeds contain essential oils (limonene, linalool) and psoralens that can cause vomiting, drooling and skin irritation in dogs and cats. A bite of the flesh is usually harmless.

How to eat and enjoy lemon

  • Lemonade and hot lemon drinks
  • Zest and juice in baking, dressings and sauces
  • Lemon curd and lemon bars
  • Preserved lemons (Morocco)
  • Limoncello (Italy)
  • Meyer lemon marmalade

When it's ripe

Pick when the fruit is full-sized, fully yellow (Meyer goes deep yellow-orange) and gives slightly. Lemons don't sweeten after picking. They hold on the tree for weeks, but left too long they get puffy and lose juice.

Storing it

About 1 week at room temperature, 3–4 weeks in a bag in the fridge. Juice and grated zest freeze well.

Lemon varieties (6)

  • Bearss

    A juicy Lisbon-type lemon selected in Florida, with high juice and peel-oil content.

    Origin: Florida, 1950s · Taste: Tart and juicy · Size: Medium

    Thorny.

  • Eureka

    The classic supermarket lemon, nearly thornless and bearing through most of the year.

    Origin: California, 1850s, from Sicilian seed · Taste: Tart and juicy · Season: Year-round · Size: Medium

    Less tolerant of cold and heat than Lisbon.

  • Lisbon

    A vigorous, thorny lemon with fruit much like Eureka's and a main crop in winter.

    Origin: Portugal · Taste: Tart and juicy · Season: Year-round · Size: Medium

    Hardier than Eureka and better in heat and wind.

  • Meyer · also Improved Meyer, Meyer lemon

    A cross of lemon with mandarin or orange, with thin smooth skin and sweeter, very juicy fruit. Compact, hardy and heavy-bearing, it's the top lemon for home gardens and pots.

    Origin: China; brought to the US in 1908 · Taste: Mildly tart, floral · Season: Nov–Mar · Size: Medium

    Takes the low 20s once established. Buy Improved Meyer, the virus-free selection.

  • Ponderosa

    A lemon-citron hybrid with huge, thick-skinned fruit that can weigh a pound or more.

    Origin: Maryland, 1880s · Taste: Tart, mild · Size: Very large

    Cold-tender; a popular novelty and pot plant.

  • Variegated Pink Eureka · also Pink Lemonade, Pink Eureka, Variegated Pink

    A sport of Eureka with green-and-cream leaves, green-striped young fruit and pale pink flesh.

    Origin: California, 1930s · Taste: Tart, slightly less acidic than Eureka · Season: Year-round · Size: Medium

    The juice is clear, not pink. Grows a little slower than Eureka.

Pests and diseases to watch for

  • Whiteflies

    Clouds of tiny white flies when a branch is shaken; yellowing leaves and sooty mold.

    What to do: Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil on leaf undersides.

  • Citrus greening (HLB)

    Blotchy, uneven yellowing that isn't the same on both halves of a leaf; small, lopsided, bitter fruit that stays green at the bottom; twig dieback.

    What to do: There's no cure. Keep the tree well fed with a complete citrus fertilizer and micronutrients to slow decline.

    A regulated disease in Florida, Texas, California and elsewhere. If you suspect it, contact your county extension office or the state agriculture department.

  • Citrus canker

    Raised, corky brown spots with a yellow halo on leaves, twigs and fruit; fruit may drop early.

    What to do: Copper sprays protect new growth and young fruit.

    Regulated in several states. Report suspected cases to your extension office.

  • Citrus leafminer

    Silvery, winding tunnels in young leaves, which curl and twist.

    What to do: Mostly cosmetic on mature trees; leave them be.

  • Phytophthora root rot

    Small, pale, wilting leaves, thin canopy and branch dieback; roots are black and brittle instead of white.

    What to do: Water less and improve drainage.

  • Scale insects

    Small bumps, waxy or shell-like, on stems and leaf veins; sticky honeydew and black sooty mold below.

    What to do: Scrub small colonies off with a soft brush.

Growing lemons? Let Gardyn keep track.

Gardyn tells you when your lemon needs water based on your local weather, reminds you to feed and prune in season, and keeps every harvest and photo.

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General guidance, not medical or veterinary advice. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435.