Citrus
Meyer Lemon
Citrus x meyeri (sold in Arizona as 'Improved Meyer') · Rutaceae
Also called: Improved Meyer Lemon, Meyer's Lemon, Dwarf Meyer Lemon
Meyer Lemon (Citrus x meyeri (sold in Arizona as 'Improved Meyer')) is a moderate-water citrus well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun for best fruiting, with a moderate to fast growth rate.
Meyer Lemon at a glance
- Water use
- Moderate (established)
- Sun
- Full sun for best fruiting (6+ hours); tolerates light afternoon shade and actually appreciates some protection from extreme west sun in Tucson. Often grown in containers, including on bright patios.
- Mature size
- Naturally small: 6-10 ft tall and wide; easily kept 4-6 ft, and a favorite for large containers.
- Growth rate
- Moderate to fast
- Bloom
- White, purple-tinged buds; very fragrant, Blooms several times a year (heaviest in spring); fruit ripens mainly late fall through winter and often nearly year-round once established.
- Cold hardiness
- USDA 9a-9b. The most cold-hardy of the common lemons (tolerates brief dips to about 26-28 F), but still frost-tender; protect or move container plants during hard Tucson freezes. Lemons as a group are among the most frost-sensitive citrus.
- Soil
- Well-drained soil, native amended or quality potting mix in containers; alkaline-tolerant but not waterlogged.
- Native range
- Hybrid (lemon x mandarin/sweet orange) of Chinese origin, introduced to the U.S. by Frank Meyer in 1908.
- Best used as
- Fresh eating and cooking (sweeter, less acidic juice), Baking and desserts, Container / patio specimen, Edible hedge, Pollinator forage
- Wildlife
- Fragrant, repeat blooms are excellent honeybee forage.
- Toxicity
- Fruit edible and safe for people. Leaves, peel oils, and seeds are toxic to dogs, cats, and horses in quantity; very few thorns.
How to grow Meyer Lemon in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Deep, infrequent irrigation to ~2-3 ft: about every 7 days in summer, every 2-3 weeks spring/fall, every 4-6 weeks winter; container trees need more frequent water. Keep moisture even during bloom and fruit set to limit flower and fruit drop.
Fertilizer & nutrients
About 0.5-1 lb actual N per year for a mature tree, split into three feedings (Jan-Feb, Mar-Apr, May-Jun); lemons are vigorous and respond well to nitrogen. Use a citrus food with iron, zinc, and manganese to counter alkaline-soil chlorosis; container trees benefit from a slow-release citrus fertilizer.
Pruning & care
Light shaping any time except just before a freeze; remove deadwood, suckers below the graft, and excessively long whippy shoots. Can be kept compact as a shrub, hedge, espalier, or patio container plant.
Notes
Sold in Arizona only as the virus-free 'Improved Meyer' (the original Meyer was restricted because it carried tristeza virus). Sweeter and less acidic than true lemons, with a thin orange-tinted rind. Compact and the most freeze-tolerant lemon, making it the top backyard/container lemon for Tucson. Self-fruitful; plant fall to early spring.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension az1001 'Low Desert Citrus Varieties'; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension 'Citrus Fertilization Chart for Arizona'; AMWUA Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert; SummerWinds Nursery Arizona citrus variety guide