Citrus limon x medica (Ponderosa Lemon)
Botanical Information
| Family | Rutaceae |
| Genus | Citrus |
| Species | limon x medica |
| Category | Tropicals |
| Type | Tree (evergreen), Shrub (evergreen) |
| Origin | Originated in the Mediterranean region. |
Details
| USDA Hardiness Zone | 9 - 11 |
| USDA Hardiness Ref. | |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone | Requires cold season protection under glass. |
| Canada Hardiness Ref. | |
| RHS Hardiness Zone | H1c - H5 |
| RHS Hardiness Ref. | |
| Temperature (°C) | 0 - 30 |
| Temperature (°F) | 32 - 86 |
| Height | 3 - 6 |
| Spread | 5 - 6 |
| Growth | Medium |
Description and Growing Information
| General Description | Small hybrid lemon tree. |
| Propagation | Can be propagated directly from seed, cuttings, budding or layering. |
| Cultivation | Will grow in most mediums. Prefers full sun and has shallow root system so it should be watered often. |
| Pests | Pests include aphids, whiteflies, red scale, orange dog caterpillars, thripes, and snails. Diseases include branch knot, leaf spot, tar spot, red algae and scab. Xylella a bacterial disease is a serious threat to many horticultures crops due to its virulence and wide range of species it can infect. It can infect more than 560 species with wide ranging symptoms including leaf scorch, yellowing and scorching, wilt, branch and twig dieback and plant death. These symptoms can be identical to other symptoms such as drought and weather stress. Infected plants show symptoms within a few years after planting. |
| Notable Specimens | Centennial Conservatory, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. |
| Bark/Stem Description | The bark is thin. |
| Leaf Description | Leaves are elliptical to lanceolate in shape. |
| Flower Description | There are 4-5 petals per flower, 2 cm long, with each bloom having between 20-40 stamens. |
| Fruit Description | Ponderosa lemons are round with many pores, and grow as large as a grapefruit. |
| Colour Description | Bark is light to medium brown. Leaves are dark green. The flowers are white with a external purple base. Stamens are yellow. When ripening fruit will range from green to bright yellow. |
| Texture Description | Bark is smooth. Leaves are glossy. The skin of the lemon is smooth and shiny. |
Photographs
Citrus limon x medica form.
citrus limon x medica flower.
citrus limon x medica fruit.
citrus limon x medica fruit.