Citrus
Can I Grow Meyer Lemon?
Meyer lemon is the sweeter, more fragrant cousin of commercial lemons — a lemon-orange hybrid with thin skin and floral aroma. It's the most cold-tolerant true citrus and thrives in containers.
Growing Requirements
Chill Hours
0
Hardiness Zones
9-10-11
Harvest
Year-round (peak winter)
Results
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Pruning dates, harvests, spray schedules, what worked. The gardeners who get the most from their trees are the ones who kept records.
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About Meyer Lemon
Meyer lemon is the sweeter, more fragrant cousin of commercial lemons — a lemon-orange hybrid with thin skin and floral aroma. It's the most cold-tolerant true citrus and thrives in containers.
Meyer Lemon requires 0 chill hours — the number of hours between 32°F and 45°F during winter dormancy. Without enough chill, the tree may fail to flower properly or produce poor fruit.
⚠️ Common Challenges
Frost-sensitive (damaged below 28°F); prone to citrus pests like scale and leafminer.
❌ Common Misconception
Will Meyer Lemon produce more fruit in colder climates?
Not necessarily. Meyer Lemon only needs 0 chill hours. Planting in very cold zones (8 or colder) risks winter damage without improving fruit production. The ideal zones are 9-11 where the tree gets enough chill without excessive cold stress.
If you plant it, write it down.
Variety, rootstock, planting date — and every pruning and harvest after that. Future you will thank you.
Free for up to 30 plants. No card needed.
Other Citrus Varieties
Chill hour data from Open-Meteo Historical Weather API. Variety information compiled from university extension services.