This is my Meyer lemon tree which currently has upwards of 30 edible lemons on it, some almost ready to pick. It was given to me as a 6” sprout by a friend when my Father died in 1998 so that makes it almost 16 years old and a treasured memento.
Meyer lemons are a cross between mandarin orange and lemon. The longer the lemon stays on the tree the more orange it gets but I usually pick them before they get that far. The skin is very thin and the fruit is very juicy and almost sweet. The lemons are very expensive when purchased in a grocery store, if you can find them!
This plant is in a 16” pot and has been for years. We can’t use a bigger pot because it would be too heavy for my husband to carry upstairs to the sunniest window in the house for the winter. It goes out in May and comes in in September. As you can see it has lost some leaves and will lose more before spring. One year it lost almost all its leaves in October, got scale and I thought it was a goner. In April I put it outside to dispose of and forgot about it. Eventually it sprouted and came completely back.
If you’re looking for a fun plant to grow get one of these. They can be found in some of the better catalogs. When it flowers, as it might 2 or 3 times a year, the smell is wonderful. We seldom get this many lemons because it has to bloom and get pollinated when it’s outside. It also makes a great gift for your gardening friends!
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