Lemon - Citrus x limon
New Zealand lemon varieties
Lemon tree varieties in New Zealand largely fall into two distinct groups, each offering different characteristics for home orchards and edible gardens. Understanding these lemon varieties is eassential when using our fruit tree selector to choose the right fruit trees for your specific New Zealand growing conditions.
Eureka Group Lemon Varieties: The Eureka group includes Villafranca, Genoa, and various Eureka selections. These lemon trees are virtually thornless, making them user-friendly fruit tree varieties for edible gardens where easy maintenance and harvesting are priorities.
Lisbon Group Lemon Varieties: The Lisbon group encompasses Yen Ben and Lisbon selections. While these lemon varieties are relatively thorny, they offer superior compatibility with trifoliata rootstocks, which enhance cold tolerance and disease resistance - important considerations for challenging New Zealand climates.
Meyer Lemon Trees: Arguably New Zealand's most popular lemon variety for home growers, Meyer lemons are actually lemon-mandarin hybrids rather than true lemons. These exceptional fruit trees are the most cold-hardy of all citrus fruit tree varieties, making them excellent choices for cooler New Zealand regions and home orchards.
Growing lemon trees successfully requires understanding their subtropical nature. Lemon varieties don't tolerate frosts or temperatures below -2°C, making climate consideration crucial for your edible garden planning. For gardeners in particularly cool New Zealand climates, consider growing lemon trees in containers under cover, or moving them into glasshouses or indoors during winter months.
Lemon trees require consistent watering during establishment and extended dry periods, particularly when fruit is developing. These fruit tree varieties are considered 'gross feeders,' requiring regular, heavy feeding with specialist citrus fertilizer for optimal production in home orchards.
Lemon tree maintenance involves pruning to shape (they prefer an enclosed center) while ensuring adequate sunlight penetration and air movement. Always remove rootstock growth, and exercise caution with rootstock spikes when pruning, particularly with trifoliata rootstock varieties.
The choice between lemon varieties depends on your specific New Zealand location, climate conditions, and maintenance preferences. Meyer lemon trees offer the best cold tolerance, while Eureka varieties provide thornless convenience, and Lisbon types offer enhanced rootstock compatibility for challenging growing conditions.
Use our fruit tree selector to determine which lemon varieties are best suited to your New Zealand edible garden and climate zone.