What type of lemon tree is this?
- Thread starter Wafflehut
- Start date
There are many cultivars of Lemon (Citrus x limon), as well as other similar Citrus fruit. It would be good to see fully mature fruit, flowers and other characters. Even then, the exact appearance of the fruit can vary greatly due to environmental variables.
At this stage, it does bear a resemblance to the two most commonly grown lemon cultivars, 'Eureka' and 'Lisbon', but there are many other cultivars grown by hobbyists and specialist growers.
Do you know the history of this tree? Is it grown in Michigan and brought indoors in the Winter?
At this stage, it does bear a resemblance to the two most commonly grown lemon cultivars, 'Eureka' and 'Lisbon', but there are many other cultivars grown by hobbyists and specialist growers.
Do you know the history of this tree? Is it grown in Michigan and brought indoors in the Winter?
I bought it 2 years ago. It had a tag on it for a website. You can find them at the big box stores, nurseries, etc. Usually have them with apple, cherry, orange, etc.
I bring it inside in the fall and put it outside in the spring. Normally I get a few white flowers that I'll help pollinate, but this summer, I've got a massive amount of purple flowers that turned into lemons. It seems to be doing fine in our winters, doesn't drop below 60 in the room it's in. The 2 big lemons are normally firm but they've started to soften. That's why I was thinking they're getting ripe.
I read that the eureka don't have thorns? I'd say this one is somewhat thorny.
I also want to prune this one so it's not so tall but i thought I should wait till it's done growing fruit. However, it seems to be getting fruit year round. Although I've been using a fertilizer that says it's for citrus trees to stimulate fruit growth, so who knows. Ha.
I bring it inside in the fall and put it outside in the spring. Normally I get a few white flowers that I'll help pollinate, but this summer, I've got a massive amount of purple flowers that turned into lemons. It seems to be doing fine in our winters, doesn't drop below 60 in the room it's in. The 2 big lemons are normally firm but they've started to soften. That's why I was thinking they're getting ripe.
I read that the eureka don't have thorns? I'd say this one is somewhat thorny.
I also want to prune this one so it's not so tall but i thought I should wait till it's done growing fruit. However, it seems to be getting fruit year round. Although I've been using a fertilizer that says it's for citrus trees to stimulate fruit growth, so who knows. Ha.
Yes, your tree does seem healthy and fruitful. You are growing it well.
Since it came from a box store, one of the common cultivars seems most likely. It does look like your tree was grafted, so it is unlikely to be an unnamed seedling lemon.
Also it's good to know that the names 'Eureka' and 'Lisbon' now really serve to identify cultivar groups. A number of different sports and selections have been selected from the original trees, each diffeerent enough to considered its own named cultivar.
Since it came from a box store, one of the common cultivars seems most likely. It does look like your tree was grafted, so it is unlikely to be an unnamed seedling lemon.
Also it's good to know that the names 'Eureka' and 'Lisbon' now really serve to identify cultivar groups. A number of different sports and selections have been selected from the original trees, each diffeerent enough to considered its own named cultivar.
Thank you very much for the help and compliments.
So then with those 2 names, the research I've done, it's ripe when it's yellow. Correct? It's already gone firm to some give, but it's still a pale green with yellowing near the top.
So then with those 2 names, the research I've done, it's ripe when it's yellow. Correct? It's already gone firm to some give, but it's still a pale green with yellowing near the top.
Normally, lemons will be entirely yellow when fully ripe, though occasionally the ripeness and the color will be out of sync for some reason.
Hello Wafflehut:
I was out in my garden today looking at the immature fruit on my Meyer Lemon (Citrus x meyeri 'Meyer Improved') and I decided that I had unfairly excluded it as a possible identity for your tree. I initially didn't think it was likely because mature Meyer Lemons have a very short umbo or none at all. The umbo is the nipple-like tip of a lemon. However looking at my tree's small, green, immature fruit I realized that the umbo is much more prominent earlier in development. So if your fruit develops into orange-yellow oval lemons with semi-sweet-sour juice, it is probably a Meyer Lemon. Thank you for helping me to better notice something that has been literally in my own backyard for decades.
Another point to consider is that Meyer Lemons are particularly popular with home growers, at least here in California. It's the only lemon I grow. They are sweeter than regular lemons because they are actually a lemon back-crossed with a mandarin. The word "Improved" in the cultivar name means it was selected in the 1940s from a virus-free strain of the original variety, which was often infected with CTV (Citrus Tristeza Virus).
I was out in my garden today looking at the immature fruit on my Meyer Lemon (Citrus x meyeri 'Meyer Improved') and I decided that I had unfairly excluded it as a possible identity for your tree. I initially didn't think it was likely because mature Meyer Lemons have a very short umbo or none at all. The umbo is the nipple-like tip of a lemon. However looking at my tree's small, green, immature fruit I realized that the umbo is much more prominent earlier in development. So if your fruit develops into orange-yellow oval lemons with semi-sweet-sour juice, it is probably a Meyer Lemon. Thank you for helping me to better notice something that has been literally in my own backyard for decades.
Another point to consider is that Meyer Lemons are particularly popular with home growers, at least here in California. It's the only lemon I grow. They are sweeter than regular lemons because they are actually a lemon back-crossed with a mandarin. The word "Improved" in the cultivar name means it was selected in the 1940s from a virus-free strain of the original variety, which was often infected with CTV (Citrus Tristeza Virus).