My neighbor has a lemon tree that produces lemons unlike others I’ve seen (or tasted). Some nearby neighbors think it’s a distinct variety of lemon, others think it must be some lemon/orange hybrid. I wonder if any Dopers know of this kind of lemon?
The lemons are nearly spherical, almost-but-not-quite like oranges. They are definitely lemon-yellow. They taste like lemons, but sweet enough to eat straight, like an orange. They are somewhat lemonade-sweet (but not too sweet) and somewhat lemon-sour all at the same time. (I would not describe them as tart however.)
Is anyone here familiar with these? Is it a lemon breed or cultivar, or a lemon/orange hybrid?
This tree has substantial amounts of branches overhanging three yards (one of them mine) besides the lemon-tree yard itself, and also over a walkway. So we all get all the lemons we can eat, and other neighbors from furlongs around come for lemons too. This tree is prolific, so there’s plenty for everyone (if you can reach them, without getting bled to death by the stainless-steel four-inch spikes all over the tree). I just collected a bunch, and ate several. The fruit of these lemons is definitely possible to eat.
Bonus question: How much Vitamin C does a lemon have? Seems to me I read somewhere that they don’t have nearly as much as an orange.
Ignorance fought! I’ve never seen or heard of these kind of lemons before, other than the ones on this tree. I’ve lived here for six years.
One day a few years ago, a neighbor who does a lot of gardening came to trim the tree. He brought a wheelbarrow and collected a whole barrowful of lemons. Then he took them home and came back and collected another barrowful.
I think this must be ruled out. Detail from the Wikipedia page you cited:
Close-up picture from the same Wiki page, showing the petiole clearly: (The petiole is that broad almost-leaf-like part at the base of each leaf stem.) I just looked at my neighbor’s tree. It distinctly lacks these.
Another possibility is sweet limes/lemons. I thought Meyers as well the first sentence, but the sweetness descriptions reminds me more of sweet lemons. They are not particularly tart/sour, at least not the ones I have on me right now. (I happened to pick some up at the grocery a few days ago.) Meyers I find much more pungent than sweet lemons. Meyers tend to be a little bit more lemon-shaped, and these tend to be a little rounder. So that part of your description matches up more with sweet lemons, I think.
This seems a bit ambiguous, as the wiki page you cite suggests that “sweet lime/lemon” is a common name for several different kinds of citrus-like things. None of the varieties described and pictured seem to quite match what I have. Only one of the varieties mentioned there, the Palestinian sweet lime seems even close.
However, that Palestinian sweet lime apparently is in fact a close relative of the Meyer lemon:
The ones we get around here look like this. I’m not used to Meyers being almost as round as oranges, but they do look so in some pix. Also the Meyers that are sold around here are more an orangey yellow. They’re definitely a different shade of yellow than regular lemons. They have a distinct perfumy kind of smell to them. Some liken it to bergamot — I’m not sure if I get that, but there’s an herbal/spicy character to it that is unique. So if you can identify an unusual smell, Meyers may be it.
All that said, I would guess you’d be able to find Meyers at a grocery somewhere. They’re not ubiquitous, but usually a more well stocked store with an extensive produce section would have them. Well, depending on where you live. If you’re outside the US, they might not be as popular.
I’ll have to look for those. I’ve never noticed them in stores, but I’ve never actually looked either. I don’t have much occasion to buy lemons of any sort. But these, whatever they are, are quite edible straight, so if I didn’t have a ready supply right outside my door, I might buy them.
Uh, what’s up with the steel spikes? Are you sure your neighbor is ok with the whole neighborhood helping themselves? I see a serious confrontation forming:
I grew up with Meyer lemons, always had a tree. They are a very common backyard shrubby tree in many parts of California. I never saw them in the stores. They are too sour for me to eat but my daughter eats them, she loves everything sour.
Genetic testing has shown that all domestic citrus are a complex bunch of often ancient east asian mutations and hybrids of five to ten related wild species. Meyer lemons, for example, are a hybrid of citron and sweet orange (itself a complex hybrid), while “true” lemons are a different hybrid of a citron mutation and sour orange (a pomelo x mandarin hybrid).
Most citrus trees have thorns, though of course some have been bred to very much reduce that trait.
Our co-op here has Meyer lemons quite often, and they can change a bit in size and shape every time they get a new batch. Some are more yellow, some more orange, some more round, some more lemon-shaped. They are always pretty good. My husband will eat them straight up, but he’ll eat lemon slices too so he’s a little weird that way ;).
It’s too cold here to grow citrus outside, but I have grown miniature orange and lime trees indoors and they are very attractive plants. I would love to have my own outdoor tree, but I’d have to move much further south.
