Vrtni limonovec, odporen na mraz - Citrus trifoliata (Poncirus Trifoliata)

Poncirus Trifoliata, commonly called Siberian lemon, garden lemon, trifoliate lemon, Chinese lemon, trifoliate orange, bitter orange - is a shrub native to China and Korea, belonging to the citrus family and can be planted directly in the garden.

Poncirus Trifoliata withstands temperatures as low as -25°C without protection, does not require special soil for citrus plants, and has very good resistance to diseases and pests, being naturally considered "pest free".

Currently, large specimens exist in the park of the Botanical Garden in Bucharest (as well as in other botanical gardens across Europe), where people can pick the fruits of this shrub (which can grow quite large) every autumn.

"Siberian lemon" is an unusual presence in a garden - it is a thorny shrub with irregularly growing branches covered in thorns. It shows relatively fast growth and a great capacity for adaptation.

The fruit is the size of a lime and is very different from "ordinary" citrus fruits, being covered with fuzz like a peach, especially when green. The peel and juice can be used for many preparations (just like lemons), including lemonades, salads, cakes, marmalades, teas, etc. The juice is considered ideal for marmalades. The taste is between lemon and orange, slightly bitter but very sour. Most people consider the fruit unsuitable for eating raw, without processing.

Recommendations: Young plants should be protected during the first 2 years of life, or grown indoors until the stems become woody/thickened, then acclimated outdoors in the warm season.

Height including pot: 25-35 cm
Pot diameter: 12 cm

During the cold season, the plants are in dormancy and are sold without leaves.