# My neighbor's lemon tree . **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [February 13, 2021, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810 "2021-02-13T02:35:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/1 "2021-02-13T02:35:03Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/2 "2021-02-13T03:08:31Z")
Could they be [Meyer lemons](https://www.michiganbulb.com/product/meyer-lemon-citrus-tree-62752?p=0819680&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl72KyvDl7gIVGpSzCh1lUwWiEAQYBSABEgKBPvD_BwE), perhaps? They vary a bit in shape and color, but tend to be not nearly as tart as a typical lemon. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/3 "2021-02-13T03:14:35Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > Could they be [Meyer lemons](https://www.michiganbulb.com/product/meyer-lemon-citrus-tree-62752?p=0819680&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl72KyvDl7gIVGpSzCh1lUwWiEAQYBSABEgKBPvD_BwE), perhaps? They vary a bit in shape and color, but tend to be not nearly as tart as a typical lemon.   Quite possibly. The nearly-spherical lemons pictured there resemble the ones here. The description in the text seems to fit. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/4 "2021-02-13T03:15:31Z")
Yeah, sounds like Meyer lemons to me. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/5 "2021-02-13T03:17:59Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/6 "2021-02-13T03:18:15Z")
Yuzu? > **[Yuzu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzu)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > > > Yuzu (Citrus junos, from Japanese 柚子 or ユズ) is a citrus fruit and plant in the family Rutaceae of East Asian origin. Yuzu has been cultivated mainly in East Asia, though recently also in New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Italy, and France. > It is believed to have originated in central China as an F1 hybrid of the mangshanyeju subspecies of mandarin orange and the ichang papeda. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/7 "2021-02-13T03:28:16Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Yuzu? I think this must be ruled out. Detail from the Wikipedia page you cited: > [@](#): > > Yuzu forms an upright shrub or small tree, which commonly has many large thorns. Leaves are notable for a large, leaf-like [petiole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petiole_(botany)), . . . 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. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Yuzu_tree_4_years_old.jpg/504px-Yuzu_tree_4_years_old.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Yuzu_tree_4_years_old.jpg/504px-Yuzu_tree_4_years_old.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/8 "2021-02-13T03:50:40Z")
Another possibility is [sweet limes/lemons.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_lemon) 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. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/9 "2021-02-13T04:01:14Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Another possibility is [sweet limes/lemons.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_lemon) I thought Meyers as well the first sentence, but the sweetness descriptions reminds me more of sweet lemons. 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](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_sweet_lime) seems even close. However, that Palestinian sweet lime apparently is in fact a close relative of the Meyer lemon: > **[Palestinian sweet lime](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_sweet_lime)** > > Citrus × limettioides Yu.Tanaka > Citrus limettioides, Palestinian sweet lime or Indian sweet lime or common sweet lime, alternatively considered a cultivar of Citrus × limon, C. × limon 'Indian Lime', is a low-acid lime used in Palestine for food, juice and rootstock. It is a member of the sweet limes. Like the Meyer lemon, it is the result of a cross between the citron (Citrus medica) and a mandarin/pomelo hybrid distinct from sweet and sour oranges. > It is distinct from the limetta which is ... ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/10 "2021-02-13T04:23:19Z")
Okay, so I just read the Wiki page on Meyer lemons. > **[Meyer lemon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meyer_lemon)** > > Citrus × meyeri, the Meyer lemon (Chinese: 梅爾檸檬; pinyin: méiěr níngméng), is a hybrid citrus fruit native to China. It is not a lemon, but is instead a cross between a citron and a mandarin/pomelo hybrid. > Mature trees are around 6 to 10 ft (2 to 3 m) tall with dark green shiny leaves. The flowers are white with a purple base and are fragrant. The fruit is rounder than a true lemon, deep yellow with a slight orange tint when ripe, and has a sweeter, less acidic flavor. The lemons contain a h... Apparently this is a miracle fruit that is good what ails you, and has become a favorite of all the Right People: > [@](#): > > A newsletter from Medical News Today outlines several studies indicating that lemons may have health benefits that include lowering the risk of stroke, regulating blood pressure, preventing cancer, and boosting the immune system with high levels of vitamin C.[[5]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meyer_lemon#cite_note-medicalnewstoday.com-5) Additionally the phytochemicals in the lemon can help with boosting mood, calming anxiety, and aiding in weight loss.[[6]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meyer_lemon#cite_note-Kennedy_1871%E2%80%931881-6) > > The Meyer lemon is commonly grown in China in [garden pots](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flower_pot) as an [ornamental tree](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornamental_tree). It became popular as a food item in the United States after being rediscovered by chefs such as [Alice Waters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Waters) at [Chez Panisse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chez_Panisse) during the rise of [California Cuisine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Cuisine) starting in the 1970s.[[7]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meyer_lemon#cite_note-7)[[8]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meyer_lemon#cite_note-8) Popularity further climbed when [Martha Stewart](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Stewart) began featuring them in some of her recipes.[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meyer_lemon#cite_note-npr-4) Well, I’m going to eat a few more right now! The above wiki also links to a L. A. Times article, [100 things to do with a Meyer lemon](https://www.latimes.com/style/la-fo-meyerlemons16jan16-story.html): > [@](#): > > **90.** Put a Meyer lemon studded with whole cloves in your lingerie drawer. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/11 "2021-02-13T05:18:22Z")
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. [https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/105721491\_3905360892871883\_5758104138543494699\_o.jpg?\_nc\_cat=108&ccb=3&\_nc\_sid=8024bb&\_nc\_ohc=H51qxZDmGMIAX9L6OB9&\_nc\_oc=AQmYruJ3SOVYJZYYHqsnt08DSWrBgTeo9eZ-SqXBGEeSZFaIDtjdYbejy9pdggcKB9Y&\_nc\_ht=scontent-ort2-2.xx&tp=14&oh=6a17e3901cf5e467037c86f042123e0d&oe=604BC3A6](https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/105721491_3905360892871883_5758104138543494699_o.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=3&_nc_sid=8024bb&_nc_ohc=H51qxZDmGMIAX9L6OB9&_nc_oc=AQmYruJ3SOVYJZYYHqsnt08DSWrBgTeo9eZ-SqXBGEeSZFaIDtjdYbejy9pdggcKB9Y&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-2.xx&tp=14&oh=6a17e3901cf5e467037c86f042123e0d&oe=604BC3A6) ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/12 "2021-02-13T05:24:57Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/13 "2021-02-13T05:36:31Z")
All things considered now, I think Meyers are the most likely answer, especially if you happen to live in California where they’ve long been popular. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/14 "2021-02-13T13:48:54Z")
But is the tree very pretty? And how do the flowers smell? ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/15 "2021-02-13T13:56:11Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > …plenty for everyone (if you can reach them, without getting bled to death by the stainless-steel four-inch spikes all over the tree). 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: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-uiz1SkLOs) ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/16 "2021-02-13T14:04:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > But is the tree very pretty? And how do the flowers smell? Is that relevant now that we know the fruit of the poor tree is quite possible to eat? ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/17 "2021-02-13T14:16:12Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/18 "2021-02-13T14:36:48Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Uh, what’s up with the steel spikes? I think Senegoid may be using humour to describe thorns. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/19 "2021-02-13T15:16:34Z")
Lemon trees have thorns? As a lifelong northerner, I don’t think I have ever actually seen a lemon tree up close and personal. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810/20 "2021-02-13T15:24:02Z")
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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-lemon-tree/932810.md?page=2)