TreesCitrus limon
Lemon Tree
The lemon tree is an elegant evergreen that can bloom and bear fruit almost year-round. Its wonderfully fragrant white flowers appear in clusters and give way to bright yellow fruits. As a container plant it is popular on sunny terraces and in conservatories.
Characteristics
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Medium
- Height
- 300–600 cm
- Spread
- 200–400 cm
- Hardiness zone
- 9–11
- Family
- Rutaceae
- Evergreen
- Yes
- Flower colors
- white
- Wildlife value
- bees, butterflies
Bloom period
Care guide
Place in a warm, sunny, sheltered position. Keep the soil evenly moist but never waterlogged. Feed fortnightly from April to September with specialist citrus fertiliser. Bring indoors before the first frost to a cool, bright spot (5-12°C).
Pruning tips
Prune lightly in spring to maintain shape and remove dead or crossing branches. Cut water sprouts (steeply upright shoots) immediately. Avoid heavy pruning as fruit grows on two-year-old wood.
Good companions
ShrubsLavandula angustifolia
English Lavender
Lavender is a beloved herb with aromatic silver-green foliage and purple-blue flower spikes. This evergreen plant blooms profusely from June to August and is remarkably drought-tolerant, attracting butterflies and bees to the garden.
HerbsRosmarinus officinalis
Rosemary
Rosemary is an aromatic, evergreen sub-shrub with needle-like deep-green foliage and small blue flowers in spring. The plant gives off a warm, resinous scent and is prized both in the kitchen and the ornamental garden. Rosemary thrives in warm, dry spots and is highly drought-tolerant.
TreesOlea europaea
Olive Tree
The olive tree is a majestic, long-lived tree with distinctive silver-green foliage and a gnarled trunk that grows increasingly characterful with age. In warm climates it produces edible olives following a modest white bloom in June. As a container plant it can bring Mediterranean charm to cooler regions too.