GARDENER'S READING ROOM
Edibles
Indoor Plants

Citrus

Citrus species make beautiful houseplants with the added advantage of bearing edible fruit. They have lustrous dark green foliage, sweetly scented flowers, and brightly colored fruit. They are grown in pots as small (generally 3-5 foot) trees or bushes. The white flowers are most profuse in spring and summer but can occur year-round. Very often the same plant will have flowers and fruit at the same time.

Citrus plants are hardier than one might expect, generally tolerating temperatures below freezing for a short time, but they fruit best if given good warmth and light. Temperatures below 50º F will usually send them into dormancy. Citrus species benefit from maximum light. In the summer, moving your plants outdoors to a sunny sheltered location is a good idea. The rest of the year, give them your sunniest window. Better yet, supplement our low winter sunlight with fluorescent or grow lights to bring the “day” length to twelve hours. Plants that receive insufficient light will flower and fruit less profusely, and fruit will be less sweet. In general, the larger and sweeter the fruit, the more light is needed to ripen it properly.

Our favorite citrus for the Northwest is the Meyer Lemon. The medium-sized lemons require less heat and light to ripen than sweeter fruit, and the plant survives temperatures down to 18°F for short periods. This lemon has a unique flavor, sweeter and subtler than supermarket lemons. Other Lemons can flower and fruit almost year-round and will survive temperatures down to 25°F for short periods. There are several beautifully ornamental variegated varieties available.

Bearss Lime bears a heavy crop of almost seedless fruit the size of a small lemon. It will survive temperatures down to 28°F for short periods. Calamondin Oranges will start bearing small, bright orange, juicy sour fruit when only a few inches high. They make a good “orangeade” or marmalade. The tree tolerates cooler temperatures without going dormant.

Sweet Oranges require good light and warmth to achieve the best flavor. They will survive temperatures down to 24°F for short periods, and trees can be maintained at 3-5’ tall. Nagami Kumquat has bite-size orange fruit with sweet, thick skin and tangy flesh. This plant survives temperatures down to 18°F for short periods and produces fruit without supplemental light.

Any of these plants will brighten your home with their fragrant flowers and glowing fruit. Remember, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And if life doesn’t give you lemons, grow them yourself!

By Terri Williamson
Skylights Spring 2002 Vol 16, No. 2

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