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greenleaf_organic

cold hardy lemon

16 years ago

Hi There,

I am in San Antonio, TX and my improved meyer took a hit this year with several nights in mid teens. I think it survived but we'll see. Just curious, I know this sound sacreligious to Meyer fans, but I kinda like the more sour lemons. I have heard that the Lisbon is the most cold hardy of the true lemons. Anyone out there know if it is more cold hardy or at least as cold hardy as Improved Meyer?

Thanks

The Greenleaf Organic Dude

Comments (5)

  • 16 years ago

    Well, there is the Ichang (very sour but not that "lemony" to me) and the Yuzu (which I have never tasted).

    However, lemons grow very well in pots. You should be able to easily grow a Lisbon in a big pot and wheel it in the garage on cold nights in the winter. Of the three Lisbon lemons and the one variegated Eureka lemon that I am aware of that were planted outside in the Houston area, none of them survived this winters cold snap.

  • 16 years ago

    My Eureka and Meyer both took hits from the cold this January, but look like they might make a comeback.

  • 16 years ago

    Eureka does not like the heat in SE texas.

    I have tasted Lisbon grown from seed in Houston and they are great (true lemons). Lisbon is the lemon grown in the California desert. I noticed some at the sales this fall. Lewis Walden has been trying to get Texas to put Lisbon into the budwood program for a long time. Being true lemons, they will not be as hardy as Meyer.

    Ichang lemons show up at the Galveston County cirtus show every few years. The ones I tasted have a kerosene aftertaste. Not as bad as trifoliate but not something I want to eat.

    Larry

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Here's a picture of my small Ichang papeda grown from a cutting.


    This species is very hard to find these days, I don't think there are any mailorder nurseries selling it right now.

    It's hardy to zone 8, perhaps being able to survive on the border of zone 8a/7b in the South (US).

    It was very easy to root out the cutting (I mean compared to other citrus), but I have read that this species is slower growing and more reluctant to fruit. The "lemons" are not the best quality (but at least it has no bad poncirus taste).

    Notice the symetric shape of the leaves (with the huge winged petioles) that distingish the pure species from Ichang lemon.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    This is a picture of a Yuzu fruit I picked off the tree 2 years ago, around Christmas time.


    It has good flavor, very unique flavor, but is full of many large-sized seeds which takes up so much space there is not a lot of juice. The skin of the fruit are a bit more tender and less bitter than the skin of a regular lemon, so have many potential culinary uses. I'd say the skin is almost comparable to calamondin in how how tender it is. Most of the flavor is in the skin.

    (If you're really wondering what the flavor is comparable to, it's like a mix of sour orange, lemon, Satsuma mandarin, and a tiny hint of grapefruit, but it also has a pungently deep spicy fragrance)


    Yuzu trees are very fruitful and cold hardy.

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