Choosing a citrus for scented flowers

11 years ago

I'm looking for a citrus that will add diversity to my collection and really fragrant blossoms. Fruit is great, but I think I enjoy the flowers even more. I like trees that are vigorous and tolerant (this is why I have a lisbon lemon instead of a meyer), and I don't mind thorns. Here in Colorado my trees spend late spring/summer/early fall outside in a greenhouse and come in for the winter with supplemental lighting.

I have a nagami kumquat and a lisbon lemon. They are doing well so far, and lemon blossoms smell amazing. The Kumquat is nice too, but not so strongly scented. I'm planning on adding a kieffer lime and a bergamot sour orange. I'm looking for one more variety to round out and finish my collection. I can't be amassing lots of trees; five will already be a crowd. I'm trying to find the tree with the best/most scented blossoms that, ideally, would bloom several times a year and have good fruit.

I've been considering an oroblanco grapefruit and a bouquet de fleurs sour orange. However, the bouquet de fleurs' fruit is only good for marmalade, which is a point against it. I'm hoping that the bergamot I'm planning for will have that orange blossom scent, but I haven't been able to find out anything about that yet.

There is no single perfect tree, but what variety would you recommend considering scent, frequency of blooms, tolerance, and fruit (in that order of importance)?

I'm happy to listen to any ideas or opinions you might have.

This post was edited by Tavimh on Mon, Jan 12, 15 at 22:40

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Comments (8)

bounty
11 years ago
Only one answer: Bouquet des Fleurs.
It has the strongest scent of any citrus flowers.
tantanman
11 years ago
Lemons can be induced to bloom by cycling the water so they feel like
a wet season is coming on. Limes too, but they won't have the aroma.

Even a small golden grapefruit will give off a huge amount of very pleasant odor.
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sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
11 years ago
Meyer Lemon scented blossoms rival even the best jasmine for fragrance. They also are very pretty, with a pinkish purple blush to the white flower. I have a matched set of potted Meyer Lemons on each side of my outdoor swing just so I can sit out there and smell them lol. They will even still keep blooming a little once they set fruit.
hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
11 years ago
Bouquet de Fleurs sour orange as mentioned by bounty. Also, grapefruits, grapefruit hybrids are also very fragrant. My Oroblanco, Melogold and Cocktail are intensely fragrant.

Patty S.
tavimh
Original Author
11 years ago
Whenever I'm at a botanic garden or a nursery, I go to smell all the citrus tree. Consistently I've found the "regular" lemons to have a stronger fragrance than the Meyer. I think it just comes down to personal preference. I really enjoy my Lisbon lemon.

I think I may be getting a Bouquet de Fleurs! Does anyone know if it is a finicky tree?
hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
11 years ago
No, Bouquet de Fleurs is not finicky. Mine is growing in a container outdoors full time. Very lovely tree, beautiful foliage as well as incredible, big, full, double, fluffy fragrant flowers.

Patty S.
petunia_2006
11 years ago
Ponderosa lemon has large fragrant blossoms that permeate a room. The most fragrant I have smelled.

Sharon A.
softmentor
11 years ago
bergamot is a nice choice. it is the citrus used in Earl Gray tea.
Bouquet de Fleurs is the flower used by perfumers and is exceptional.
I have so many varieties I find it hard to tell which one smells like what, but navel orange is also nice. When I drive by whole fields of grapefruit it is wonderful but grapefruit is a much larger tree, twice the size or more than other citrus.