Lemon
Also known as: Citrus × limon · True lemon
16 types of lemon
Allen Eureka
Improved Eureka strain; heavier bearing.
Berna
also: Verna
Spain's main late-season lemon — thick rind, low seed count, stores well.
Eureka
The classic supermarket lemon — highly acidic, thick rind, nearly thornless, ever-bearing.
Femminello
The primary Italian lemon group (including Femminello Siracusano) — used for limoncello.
Fino
also: Primofiori
Spain's main early-season lemon — thin rind, very juicy, few seeds.
Frost Eureka
Cold-tolerant Eureka selection developed at UC Riverside.
Frost Lisbon
Cold-tolerant Lisbon selection from UC Riverside.
Genoa
Italian-origin lemon similar to Eureka; nearly thornless.
Interdonato
Italian lemon × citron hybrid; large elongated fruit, early ripening.
Lapithiotiki
Traditional Cypriot lemon — ever-bearing, aromatic rind.
Limoneira 8A Lisbon
Nearly thornless commercial Lisbon selection.
Lisbon
The other main commercial lemon — very thorny, cold-hardier than Eureka, heavy winter crop.
Meyer
also: Improved Meyer
Lemon × mandarin/orange hybrid — sweeter, less acidic, thin edible rind. The favorite of chefs and home growers. Cold-hardier than true lemons.
Ponderosa
Grapefruit-sized novelty lemon; hybrid of lemon × citron. Thick rind, mild flavor.
Variegated Pink Eureka
also: Pink Lemonade
Green-and-white striped foliage with striped rind; pink-blushed flesh when ripe. Ornamental and edible.
Villafranca
Sicilian lemon similar to Eureka; grown widely in Florida historically.
When & where
Germination
Spacing & depth
How to plant
Best grown from a grafted nursery tree for true-to-type fruit and faster harvest. From seed: use fresh seed, plant 1/2 in deep in a well-drained mix, keep 75–85°F and moist. Transplant to a sunny, well-drained site sheltered from cold winds, or grow in a large container (15+ gal) that can be moved indoors below 30°F.
Grower's tip
Everbearing acidic citrus — flowers and fruits nearly year-round. Meyer lemons are actually a lemon × mandarin/orange hybrid, sweeter and less acidic than true lemons.
Woody plant facts
Soil preferences
Deep, rich, well-drained soil with high organic matter.
6.0–6.8 for most; strawberries and blueberries prefer 4.5–6.0.
Compost annually; mulch with wood chips for perennial fruits.
Watering
1–2 in per week; deeper as plants establish.
Soak the root zone, not the foliage. Drip irrigation is ideal for long-lived plantings.
Overwatered: fruit split, root rot, mushy fallen fruit. Underwatered: shriveled berries, dropped flowers, sunscald.
Prefers top-watering — Trees are always top-watered — deep slow soak at the drip line, never at the trunk. Bottom-watering only makes sense for nursery seedlings.
Temperature tolerance
70–85°F (21–29°C)
55–70°F (13–21°C)
Tropical fruits (passionfruit, pepino, naranjilla) frost-tender. Temperate fruits (pomegranate, fig, sea buckthorn) tolerate hard freezes once established.
Container growing
Possible with the right cultivar
10+ gal (38 L) for tree fruit; 3–5 gal for berry canes; 12 in deep for strawberries
Choose dwarf or patio cultivars for containers; overwinter tender types indoors.
Detailed harvesting
Pick fully ripe — fruit sweetens on the plant, not the counter. Test with a gentle tug; ripe fruit releases easily.
Post-harvest storage & preservation
Refrigerate soft fruit unwashed 3–7 days. Freeze on trays, then bag. Dehydrate slices at 135°F. Jam or preserve surplus.
Culinary, medicinal & other uses
Fresh eating, jam, wine, syrup, drying. Use imperfect fruit for cooking; keep the best for the table.
Medicinal or traditional uses are shared for interest only — this is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before using any plant medicinally.
Seed saving
Most perennial fruit are insect-pollinated and often not true-to-type from seed.
Named cultivars must be propagated by cutting, division, or graft to stay true.
Rinse seeds from ripe pulp; dry 1–2 weeks. Many need cold stratification before sowing.
Your zone's planting calendar
Pick your USDA hardiness zone and we'll estimate the key dates for lemon in your area. These are regional averages — always check your own last-frost forecast before sowing.
From your kitchen — grow lemon from what you already have
For fleshy fruits (tomato-family, melons, ground cherries), ferment the seed out. For dry-seeded fruits (roselle, hibiscus family), just let capsules dry on the plant.
- 1Fleshy fruit: scoop seeds and pulp into a jar of water; ferment 2–4 days until it molds; rinse, dry.
- 2Dry-seeded fruit: let capsules turn brown on the plant, then split and tap seeds out.
- 3Perennial fruits (fig, pomegranate, sea buckthorn): far easier from cuttings, division, or suckers than seed.
- 4Store all seed cool, dark, and dry in labeled envelopes.
Storage: 3–6 years dry.
My Lemon notes
Lemon seeds on hand
Track packets and loose seeds you already have. Private to your account.
Par level — leave at 0 for no alert. Anything below par shows on Seed Starting and your shopping list.
Order more seeds
Running low? Reorder from one of these seed stores.
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