Where are you?

Was the plant grown in shade up to be transplanted into the ground? To me it looks like the leaves were bleached from the sun. It also seems that there is some variegation in you plants. Where were they before going into the ground?

It is also planted far to close to the side of the house!! It maybe small now but if in a suitable climate, it will grow into a tree of reasonable size.

Yes, it looks like sunburn to me too. You need to put it in direct sun gradually over about a 2 week time period giving it a little more sun everyday. Variegated trees are also usually more sensitive to changes than non-variegated ones and need more protection generally to changes in temperature and light. It also is a very young seedling that needs more protection than a larger tree. Give it more shade and protection for a while and it should be ok. Maybe you have an umbrella to put over it or some shadecloth? Let it adapt to its new location slowly. It will be a very pretty tree when it grows up.

Cory

The plant is variegated yes, it's a pink variegated eureka and was originally inside for a few months under a 600w light since I got it. I recently (2 weeks about) moved it outside not in full direct sunlight but on a porch. Then a week later transplanted it. im in the PNW also, zone 8a I believe? I figured training the lemon tree to stay short (no more then head height 5-6ft) and train it along the wall sorta like they do with espaliered trees.

Is it warm enough in the PNW to keep a variegated Eureka lemon outdoors year round without protection? How low does your temperature get there and for how long does a cold spell last? Lemons are not very cold tolerant. That is a beautiful espalier though.

Cory

Yes, won't overwinter outdoors here in the PNW. Even Meyer lemons, which are perhaps the most cold tolerant of the common citrus, have difficulty and most are just summer visitors outdoors :-)

We can easily get cold snaps that drop into the teens for several days/nights at a time and into the mid 20's frequently in winter.

Thank you to everyone who posted that answered quite a bit. I knew it wasn't very cold tolerant to begin but didn't realize it was more a zone 9-10 plant... I figured as someone else stated a "cold-frame" could be possible and I figured as it got older it may be able to tolerate our winters given enough time (age vs. exposure) say like how some trees not native, planted here can lose their leaves and look almost dead but can come back again year after year despite unoptimal conditions. Being in Washington and not by the coast more so towards Tacoma/Seattle area vs. the eastern side of the state I figured our winters wouldn't be as harsh to it. But even then given it's a whole zone off... (My mistake), should I just let it go for the spring/summer and shade it a bit until the tree can stand full sun while watching for its health/vigor to come back? This way I don't stunt it anymore for awhile of course since it's already in the ground.

Then possibly think of uprooting it and repotting it once more to save it from winter frost?

I can always buy another, but they're not necessarily cheap of course so I'd prefer to save it if possible. Unless there is a chance it could survive our winters here...