Scientific Name:
Citrus limon
(incl. hybrids)
Pronunciation:
SIT-russ LYE-mun
Common Name:
lemon
Family Name:
Rutaceae
Plant Type:
Flowering pot plant
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, most ovate-elliptic, 6-12cm long x 3-6cm wide, margin usually serrate, spine often present at nodes; flowers white, very fragrant; fruit a green-yellow lemon.
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
2 - 3m
Mature Spread:
1.5 - 2.0m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Garden origin, South Asia / India (C. limon is most likely a hybrid - possibly of C. medica x C. aurantiifolia)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 9: (-7 to -1 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Fragrance, Indoor plant
Additional Info:
Google. Hybrids shown or on campus may include Meyer lemon (C. limon × C. reticulata), and Ponderosa lemon (C. limon × C. medica); fruit can form any month and has a thicker, bumpier rind.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Leathery
Surfaces:
Lustrous
Shapes:
Ovate
Apices:
Acute
Margins:
Serrate
Additional Info:
Winged petioles
Inflorescence Type:
Cyme
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
White
Flower Scent:
Fragrant, Lemony
Flower Time at Peak:
Can flower any month
Fruit Type:
Edible, Hesperidium
Fruit Colour:
Yellow
Fruiting Time:
Additional Info:
Showy, Edible
Bark Morphology:
Lightly fissured
Bark or Stem Colour:
Dark Grey, Dark brown
Organ Modifications:
Spines
Propagation:
Seed
Optimal Temp.:
Medium
Light Level:
High
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Mites, Mold, Scale insects
Specific Pests:
