March is the Perfect Time for Planting a Meyer Lemon Tree
Meyer Lemon
There is nothing quite so refreshing as the fragrance of lemons as you slice through their yellow skin. Lemons are a very popular fruit tree for those of us who in zones 8 and above and their lush green foliage and yellow fruit add beauty to the garden.
If you have been thinking of adding a lemon tree to your landscape, March is the best time of year to plant new citrus in the garden as it gives them time to become established before the heat of summer arrives.
I am often asked about what type of lemon is best for the garden. My personal choice is Meyer lemon for a number of reasons. You may have heard of this type of lemon tree, but what you may not know is that it isn’t a ‘true’ lemon – it’s actually a naturally occurring hybrid of a lemon and ‘Mandarin’ orange. This results in a pseudo-lemon that is sweeter and less acidic than true lemons such as ‘Eureka’ and ‘Lisbon’.
See why you should consider planting a Meyer lemon tree in your backyard in my latest article for Houzz.com. (Click on the photo below to read the article).
*What type of lemon tree to you grow?
Noelle Johnson, aka, 'AZ Plant Lady' is a author, horticulturist, and landscape consultant who helps people learn how to create, grow, and maintain beautiful desert gardens that thrive in a hot, dry climate. She does this through her consulting services, her online class Desert Gardening 101, and her monthly membership club, Through the Garden Gate. As she likes to tell desert-dwellers, "Gardening in the desert isn't hard, but it is different."
Noelle Johnson, aka, 'AZ Plant Lady' is a author, horticulturist, and landscape consultant who helps people learn how to create, grow, and maintain beautiful desert gardens that thrive in a hot, dry climate. She does this through her 
I tried growing one in my kitchen once, with little success. I did get one lonely sweet smelling bloom, but after that the leaves slowly yellowed and died. Ohio just isn’t the place for citrus, even indoors!
Hi Robin,
I think that is a lesson that most of us have learned over the years – don’t fight nature. Although, I am still tempted to try growing a peony bush 😉
This will be my third yr in Phx growing citrus in containers with excellent luck. My meyer lemons are loaded with blooms as are my limes. I cannot dig into the ground so this has been just great for me
Hi Kathleen,
It’s so nice to be able to grow citrus in containers. I’ve never done it before, but several of my clients do and love it!