Meyer lemons are quite famous among the foodies as well as the master chefs. Many people also prefer to grow Meyer lemon trees in their homes. These trees have been named after Frank Meyer, who brought them first to the United States in 1908 from China when he was working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The popularity of these trees increased almost exponentially until it was attacked by a virus that was discovered in them during the mid-1940s.

In view of the virus, Meyer lemon trees got banned in the U.S. so as to avert the virus from spreading to other varieties of lemon. As a result, another version of Meyer lemon tree was introduced in 1970. This was a virus-free version and it soon became the favorite among many home growers. The lemons are exceptionally succulent and sweet in this variety.

Meyer lemons have thin skin and cannot survive shipping in most cases. For this reason, commercial growers of lemon do not prefer to grow them in abundance. The popularity of these lemons in the South Texas region has made them known by the name of “Valley lemons” as well.

Meyer trees are quite compact and usually fit easily into the small spaces of home gardens and balconies. The Meyer lemons from the new version were larger and very juicy. Even when there is no fruit growing on it, Meyer lemon trees with their green leaves appear to be a great ornamental addition to your backyard.

Along with glossy and lush leaves, you can witness little white flowers that bear a nice fragrance on these trees during the winter. This is why Meyer lemons are known to be a good indoor houseplant. Also, you need not bother much about the growing conditions of Meyers as they do not need immense heat for the fruit to ripen. According to the kind of care and pruning that the trees receive, they usually extend up to the height of 8 feet and are usually around 10 feet wide.

Meyer lemons in the improved version of trees arise in big clusters of around 6 lemons after the bloom. Or you may even have smaller groups of 2 to 3 lemons forming a cluster. Meyer lemons bear a sweet taste and are extensively used in cooking. They are less tart as compared to the “Lisbon” or “Eureka” types and do not contain many thorns. As the fruit of Meyer tree matures, their color changes from green into yellow and finally into light orange when the fruit has fully ripened.

Hence, there are many reasons that make Meyer lemon trees an appreciable addition to almost all kinds of environments. If there is room in your backyard, you can get a Meyer tree too and reap its benefits for years to come.

There are several types of lemon trees that can be spotted. These trees are thorny and evergreen with light green oval-shaped leaves that grow 6 meters high and bear purple flowers. Lemon trees start to bear fruits when they are in their third year. Many of them are even known to produce up to 1,500 lemons each year. The largest lemon producers of the world are Argentina, Italy, Turkey, Spain, Greece, and the USA.

Types of lemon trees: The most common types of lemon trees are Meyers and Rough Lemon; however, there are also a few others of significance, which are explained below.

• True Lemons: This variety of lemons was first grown in India. Afterward it spread to the Mediterranean and from there it was taken to the Americas by Christopher Columbus.
• Eureka: The two basic types of lemons today are Eureka, which first grew in California, and Lisbon, which actually originated in Australia. The former is a large and wide-growing tree with very few twigs and branches. It produces lemon clusters during the spring and summer months.
• Lisbon: This Australian-born lemon is known for its thick trees and various vertical and thorny branches. This lemon variety bears fruits in the summer and autumn season. Of its two varieties, the fruit of Lisbon lemon trees contains more seeds than its Californian counterpart.
• Avon and Bearss: These trees are also of Californian origin. Of them, Avon was propagated originally in 1934 and was planted in Avon Park’s Alpine Grove. Here, it produced many lemons that are well suited for frozen concentrate. Bearss is said to be close to the Lisbon type while Harvey is similar to Eureka.
• Meyer: This lemon variety was first introduced in 1908 in China. Not a typical lemon, the fruit of this tree is used as lemon substitutes, though it is less acidic than the usual lemons. Lemons of this variety are close to typical oranges in shape, size, color of peel and pulp. Meyer trees spread wide but are small and hardly have any thorns. This variety is quite sweet in taste, less tart, and is very popular in south Texas, for which reason it is known as Valley Lemon.
• Villafranca: This lemon tree type has its roots in Sicily. From here, it was taken to Europe in 1875 and from there it was further introduced to Sanford, Florida. It is close to the Eureka lemon type. The Villafranca tree is large, with thick foliage and thornier than Eureka but as it grows older, it loses its thorns. One of its two strains bears fruit perennially while the other bears fruit in summer. It is now commercially grown in Israel, but is not as popular in India.
• Rough Lemon: Very much like True Lemons, the fruit of Rough Lemons is larger, bumpier, and seedier than the former.
• Dorshapo: This is a typical lemon tree grown in Brazil, which is very much like Eureka in its tree traits and fruit. The fruit of this tree contains very little acid content. It is also grown in Latin America and the Mediterranean.

Many Americans are already aware of the Meyer lemons. They love them in their gardens for their fragrance, looks, and of course for the great fruit that they bear. I am sure many of you must have also heard about the Meyer lemon improved. But have you every wondered what this addition of the word “improved” means?

I’ll explain this to you. Meyer lemons, which are actually native to China, were brought to the U.S. back in 1908 by a man named Frank Meyer. However, the popularity of these lemons soared even at that time but their propagation was soon stopped by the California Department of Food and Agriculture in 1976. The reason for this interruption in the promotion of Meyer lemon trees was due to the fact that they carried tatter and tristeza leaf viruses.

Hence, a virus-free version of Meyer trees was found by famed Don Dillion of the California company Four Winds Growers in 1950. In 1975, this new virus-free version of Meyer lemon trees was ultimately released by the University of California. This is the new version that is now known as Meyer lemon improved. So, now you know the relevance of the word “improved”.

At present, when any citrus farm or nursery propagates these Meyer trees, they make use of grafting techniques and budwood so as to ensure virus-free and improved Meyer lemon trees.

This improved variety of Meyer lemons have fruits with thin skin that are less tart as compared to other varieties of lemon. Though the growth of fruits would definitely be more during the winter months but at least a small quantity of fruits would surely adorn your garden throughout most of the year.

Meyer lemon improved trees are almost thornless and are thereby preferred as a great indoor plant by many Americans. Not to forget, the climate in most U.S. counties is very favorable for the propagation of Meyer lemon improved as they do not require much sunlight to ripen their fruits. Meyer trees do not require much moisture either, so plan your watering schedule accordingly. Water again only when you feel the top soil turning very dry. Over watering often becomes the cause of death of many lemon trees. So you need to be very careful about this.

It pays to fertilize during the spring months when the growth has first started rather than during the winter as you might do otherwise. In cases where you want to prune your Meyer tree, do not cut the lower branches as they are the ones that bear most fruits, though you may want to prune back some of the top branches. Hence, following these points would help you maintain Meyer lemon improved variety in your backyard or indoors without much hassle.

Though most of you probably would not consume lemons entirely as a meal, they are commonly used in cooking and lend a great flavor to the food. There are very few people who are aware of the fact that there are different lemon types that can be purchased to suit different kinds of techniques in cooking.

While there are some that are sweet, others belong to the tart variety. It greatly helps to use the right type of lemon in dishes for the best favor. Some of the things that can be considered to distinguish between different types of lemons are:

1. Juice: Taste the juice of the lemon. If it is sweet and has little sourness, it probably belongs to the sweet variety. So it might be Limetta, which is actually a hybrid Mexican lime. Another guess can be that of Meyer lemons or improved Meyer lemons. This is a cross variety between lemon and orange. On the other hand, if the juice is entirely sour, it is probably a Lisbon or Eureka lemon.

2. Skin texture: Pitted and thick skinned lemons that have holes in them can be Eureka lemons. These are grown commercially and are really juicy. Lisbons are the ones that have smooth skin, are a little grainy, and sometimes taper off from one end.

3. Skin color: Orange cast of the lemon’s skin identifies it to be Meyer lemon. On the other hand, if the skin is bright yellow, there are many other aspects that you need to examine before you reach a conclusion as to which type of lemon it is.

4. Seeds: You can also look for seeds. While all other lemon types have some seeds, Lisbon lemons are usually seedless.

5. Place from where the lemons are bought: Yes, even the source from where you have purchased the lemons is also an important determinant in knowing the type of lemon you have purchased. Being grown commercially, Eureka lemons are easily available in almost all grocery stores. As far as Meyer lemons are concerned, they generally get spoiled in shipping, so they are not grown commercially. As a result, they are mostly home grown in places like California. Limettas can be found in the home gardens of people in India, USA, and the Mediterranean region. Last but not least, Lisbons are normally found in Florida at the produce stands.

Hence, there are many aspects of lemons that can be considered to determine which lemon type you have purchased and in which kind of cooking technique will it be most suitable.