Citrus Trees

Citrus trees are very beautiful evergreen trees with glossy leaves that add warmth to any landscape besides giving us delicious fruit. Some citrus trees can grow up to 30 feet but by pruning can be kept smaller. They are also available in dwarf citrus trees and semi-dwarf size that can be grown in containers and others can be trained as shrubs. Citrus fruits are part of the Rutaceae family. Citrus trees produce fruits of different sizes and forms, from oblong to round, and are full of flavor and juice, plus a wonderful fragrance. 

The well known citrus trees include the grapefruit, lemon, lime, sweet orange, and tangerine or mandarin. There are several varieties of each type of citrus and there are some species that are strictly ornamental such as the trifoliate orange which is deciduous with inedible fruit. This ornamental citrus has been known to grow as far north as Washington, D.C. There are hybrids of grapefruits and tangerines which are also known as tangelos are a great dessert fruit. Citranges are hybrids of sweet oranges and trifoliate; they resist frost and have juicy orange-like fruits that are inedible and are mainly used as rootstocks.

There are red-fleshed grapefruits, pink-fleshed lemons, and red-fleshed or blood oranges, as well as the common yellow and orange flesh. There can even be variegated forms of citrus where the leaves and fruit peel are a mixture of white and green. Citrus grows well in a broad range of soils but do not bear up to poor drainage or saline conditions.

They are very sensitive to the temperature. Freezing temperatures will ruin the fruits quality, if the temperature goes too low it can kill the tree. This usually varies with the type of citrus. Limes and lemons are best known for growing in the warmest locations, but the Satsuma mandarins will grow quite well along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida in temperatures that can drop down to 15 - 20 degrees F.

The deepest colors of orange of both the juice and peel are produced in cooler areas. The thickest peels of the citrus usually develop in dry regions while the juiciest is in wet, humid conditions. Grapefruit is acid in cooler climates and sweet in hotter ones. The blood oranges flesh will turn red in cooler climates, but will often be mottled or lacking redness in warmer climates.

Lemon trees and lime trees bloom periodically throughout the year and continue bearing fruit in all seasons. Many of the other citrus varieties will flower in the spring, but their ripened fruit will remain on the tree for many months. Three or four mature citrus trees will supply a family of four in citrus fruits for most of the year. You would need a very large yard for four large citrus trees but the smaller semi-dwarf or dwarf citrus trees should give you enough supply for close to a year.

Citrus fruits along with their juices have many nutritional and beneficial health properties. They are rich in Vitamin C or ascorbic acid, folic acid, as well as being an excellent source of fiber. Citrus fruits are also sodium free, cholesterol free, and fat free in addition to containing calcium, folate, potassium, niacin, vitamin B6, magnesium, copper, and phosphorus. They can also help in reducing the risk of some forms of cancer and heart diseases. They also help to reduce birth defects and diseases in pregnant women.