Improved Meyer Lemon

Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Watering can be reduced after establishment. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer before new growth begins in spring. Pruning time: winter.

Handsome foliage, fragrant flowers and year-round fruit make this an all-round excellent plant for container or tropical bed close to the patio. It can be grown indoors in the sun or taken in during winter in colder climates.

The bright yellow fruit pairs well with other hot tropicals like Hibiscus, Lantana, Bird of Paradise and New Zealand Flax. Plant in a container alongside blue blooming perennials like Lavender and Ajuga.

The Meyer Lemon Tree is named for Frank Meyer of the USDA, who brought the plant from China in 1908. By the mid 1940s, the Meyer Lemon had become a staple citrus tree throughout Southern California. It was discovered that a majority of the Meyer lemon trees being propagated were carriers of the Tristeza Virus, a virus which had killed millions of citrus trees all over the world and rendered others useless for production. After this finding, most of the Meyer lemon trees in the United States were destroyed to save other citrus trees. A virus-free selection was found in the 1950s by Four Winds Growers in California. This selection, named Improved Meyer Lemon, was certified and released by the University of California in 1975.