Lemon Lime trees are small subtropical evergreen citrus trees that belong to the flowering plant family Rutaceae. They are native to South Asia and are widely grown for their flavorful highly acidic fruits and aromatic leaves.
Lemon Cultivars
Each Lemon and Lime tree has its unique characteristic that can help you determine what type of Lime Lemon tree it is. It could be the tree, the leaves, the blossoms, or the fruits that give away its classification.
- Bearss Lemon Tree – Bearss Lemon tree. also known as Tahitian Lime and Persian Lime tree, is a nearly-thornless medium-sized vigorous tree with spreading growth habit. It bears fragrant white blooms and tart lemons commonly used for making beverages, desserts, and flavorings for many dishes. The white blooms of Bearss Lemon tree start appearing in late spring and early summer and turn to mature fruits from August to December.
- Meyer Lemon Lime Tree – Meyer Lemon is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange giving it a distinctly sweet flavor minus the acidity of regular lemons. Its peel is highly aromatic and very similar to spicy bergamot and taste like an herb or a spice. This Lemon Lime tree hybrid has attractive, evergreen foliage that has a spreading habit and boasts of sporadic, fragrant flowering. You can plant both standard-size and Meyer Lemon dwarf tree and expect to get the same size and quality fruits.
- Eureka Lemon Tree – Eureka Lemons are one of the most common citrus trees grown at home because they are easy to grow and heavy lemon producers all year-round. Both the standard and Dwarf Eureka Lemon trees are handsome evergreen trees that produce fragrant white blooms in spring or fall. The standard Eureka Lemon tree can grow 15-20 feet tall while the typical dwarf Eureka Lemon tree size is just around 6-10 ft. There is also another Eureka strain called Pink Variegated Lemon tree which produces pink-fleshed lemon fruits. Unlike the classic Eureka Lemon tree, the pink variety has cream-colored foliage and produces fruits with green-striped rind while still immature. If you are interested in growing this Lemon tree do an online search and look for “Variegated Pink Lemon tree for sale near me”. Pink Variegated Lemon trees for sale should be available at citrus nurseries.
- Cocktail tree Lemon Lime – This hybrid Lemon Lime tree features 2 different cultivars in a single tree. It is a combination of Meyer Lemon and Key Lime and is often called Meyer Lemon Key Lime Cocktail tree. Meyer Lemons are favored for their pleasant aroma and sweet flavor, while Key Limes are aromatic with a tart flavor and floral juice. If you have limited space for growing more than one cultivar but cannot decide which tree to grow, then the Lemon Lime Cocktail tree is the best tree for you. It is a space saver, doesn’t require too much of your time to care for, and gives you two fruits on a single tree.