The lemon tree produces lemons, which are yellow-skinned citrus fruits. Limes range in flavor, with some varieties being sweeter than others. They are known for their acidic, sour flavor. Just a few lemon types are recognized as “genuine” lemons in reality. Hybrid lemons, which combine true lemons with other citrus fruits, are available in several varieties.
Citrus limon is the botanical name for a lemon species. Lemons are a common citrus fruit that originated in South Asia and is now grown all around the globe. The yellow peel contains lemon oil, which is utilized to make essential oil, and it’s a rich source of vitamin C. Lisbon lemons and Eureka lemons are two of the most popular types of true lemons.
Some lemon species have pink flesh and are known as pink lemons, regardless of the majority of lemon species having yellow juicy flesh. You’ll learn about different lemon types in this page. From huge lemons like the Meyer kind to little hybrid lemons like the kind that grows in India.
Types of Lemons (With Pictures and Names)
Let’s examine some of the most widely consumed lemons in the world in further detail, based on their various qualities.
Eureka Lemons
One of the most popular types of lemon sold in stores is the Eureka lemon (Citrus limon ‘Eureka’). Eureka lemons may be found growing in Australia, Israel, Argentina, and South Africa. They originated in California. If you live in warm climates, they are also a popular lemon variety to cultivate in your garden.
One of the thorn-less types is the lemon tree, which produces lemons all year. This lemon has a vivid yellow rough skin that is medium-thin, and it is classified as a “true” lemon. With a projecting nipple (known as a mammilla) at the end, the lemon is oblong in shape. Eureka lemons have a sour, less sweet flavor than other lemon varieties. Juicy segmented lemon pulp is found beneath the soft rind. The juice and large oils in the zest of this lemon variety are both excellent options.
Cascade, Allen, Ross and Taylor, and Corona Foothill are some of the most popular Eureka lemon varieties. In warm and hot regions, eureka lemon trees flourish, but they are poorly suited to cold climates. USDA Hardiness Zones 9-10 are recommended.
Pink lemons: A type of Eureka lemon
The variegated pink lemon is one of numerous Eureka lemon varieties. The green-striped rind and pink flesh of this Eureka lemon variety. You may make pink lemonade with this kind of lemon. One of the most distinct lemons you’ll find is Pink Eureka lemons, which originated in California.
Lisbon Lemons
The Lisbon lemon (Citrus limon ‘Lisbon’) resembles the Eureka lemon in terms of its somewhat pitted skin and oblong form. Since they have a very acidic flavor, Lisbon lemons are not classified as sweet lemons. Lemon oil and vitamin C are abundant in the skin, which is medium-thick.
The seedless rich lemon flesh generates a lot of juice and is usually seedless. The Lisbon lemon thrives in colder climates when compared to the Eureka lemon. The Lisbon lemon tree only produces lemons twice a year, unlike the Eureka lemon, which produces fruit all year.
Because these are the most prevalent lemon types and it’s difficult to tell the difference, some individuals refer to both Eureka lemons and Lisbon lemons as “Sunkist” lemons. In your garden or in containers, Lisbon lemons are relatively simple to cultivate. USDA hardiness zones range from 9 to 10. During growing seasons, they need full sun and protection from frost.
Meyer Lemons
Meyer lemons (Citrus × meyeri) are one of the most popular lemon types across the globe. They were first grown in China, but are now cultivated all over the world, notably in the United States. They’re bigger and rounder than Eureka or Lisbon lemons, and they’re a kind of sweet lemon. The juicey flesh of these lemon types is protected by a thin, bright yellow skin.
Meyer lemons are a cross between citron and mandarin or orange, rather than a true lemon species. Meyer lemons have a softer flavor than Eureka or Lisbon lemons because of this. Meyer lemons have yellowish-orange flesh when compared to other lemon varieties. The fact that the Meyer variety is more cold-hardy is one of the differences between Meyer and Eureka lemons. In addition, Meyer lemon trees are smaller than Eureka lemon trees.
In comparison to regular lemons, Meyer lemons have a sweeter flavor. Meyer lemon bushes, sometimes known as little bush bushes, thrive in pots or gardens. Meyer lemons are a hardy kind of lemon tree, which is one of the benefits of growing them. USDA hardiness zones 8-11 are ideal for them.
‘Lemonade’ Lemons
This is a hybrid between a lemon tree and a mandarin tree that was created in Australia. It is known as citrus limon x reticulata, or ‘Lemonade.’ This lemon has a strong scent and is very juicy. This is a lemony lemon with a distinctive taste that isn’t as biting as most other lemons. The Lemonade tree, which grows up to 2.5 meters tall and produces a huge number of lemons, is also available as a compact dwarf fruit tree. It thrives in sunny areas with excellent drainage and grows in USDA hardiness zones 8-10.
Bearss Lemons
Bearss lemons (citrus x Latifolia) are a genuine lemon kind with an oblong form and a protruding nipple comparable to the Lisbon lemons. Bearss lemons are a kind of Sicilian lemon, according to certain sources. Brazil and Florida, on the other hand, have a lot of them.
Because of its abundant flesh and relatively thin skin, this Florida variety of lemon is very popular. Despite being thinner than some lemon varieties, the lightly-pitted skin is dense with lemon oil. Bears lemon trees yield a high-quality lemon crop in abundance. One of the most common varieties of lime is this one.
Ponderosa Lemons
The Ponderosa lemon (Citrus x pyriformis) is a hybrid of citron and pomelo fruits that yields a large type of lemon with thick rind. The thick bumpy rind of ponderosa lemons is one of their most distinguishing features. This big lemon type has an acidic and sweet flesh. Some sources claim that one ponderosa lemon’s juice can bake several lemon pies, which is possible.
The ornamental fruit-producing lemon tree, known as the Ponderosa lemon tree, is the most common cultivar. You can take the lemon trees inside during harsh winters by growing them in containers, which are vulnerable to frost.
Femminello Ovale Lemons
Femminello Ovale lemons (Citrus × limon ‘Femminello’) are a variety of lemon that originates from Italy. Sorrento lemons (left) and Siracusa lemons (right) are cultivars of Femminello Ovale Lemons The most popular types of lemons grown in Italy are actually the Femminello cultivars. The oval shape of lemons produced from Femminello lemon trees is rounded at the bottom. The rind is somewhat smooth and pitted on the medium thickness.
Femminello Ovale lemons have a substantially more bitter flavor than other US lemon types. When contrasted to other sorts of lemons, such as Eureka and Lisbon, Femminello lemons are a bigger variation of lemon. Santa Teresa lemons, Sorrento lemons, and Siracusa lemons are other types of Fimminello lemons.
Siracusa Lemon
The second most common kind of lemon in Sicily is the Siracusa lemons, which are Femminello cultivars. The most significant Italian variety is Femminello Ovale. The Siracusa lemon tree produces a lot of lemons. The juice content and high-quality essential oils from the peel of these vividly colored lemons are loved for their abundance.
Verna Lemons
The Verna lemon (Citrus x limon ‘Verna’) is a little spherical lemon with a bright yellow smooth rind that originated in Spain. Berna lemons are another name for verna lemons. The lemon fruits are picked in their immature form before they grow too big, so this kind of lemon is actually a very huge lemon variety.
The lemon fruits produced by these trees are large and acidic, with a high level of juice. The pulp might have few seeds or a lot of seeds, depending on the type of growing season. The tender flesh of Verna lemons is a prominent characteristic.
Genoa Lemons
Genoa lemons (Citrus × limon ‘Genoa’) are a classic Italian lemon variety that thrives in California. The popular Eureka variety of lemons looks a lot like this kind of lemon. They’re oblong, with a bulging bottom end. The flesh is juicy and acidic, with a thin rind just like the Eureka lemon’s, and it is covered by a thin rind.
A small bushy fruit tree with many thorns, the Genoa lemon tree (also known as Genova lemons) is a tough plant. Harvesting this lemon type might be challenging as a result of this. Genova trees, on the other hand, are hardy and can survive in areas where other lemon trees cannot.
Volkamer Lemons
A cross between a lemon and a sour orange, Volkamer lemons (Citrus × limon ‘Volkamer’) are not a genuine lemon variety. A spherical lemon shape with a bright scarlet bumpy skin, this hybrid lemon cultivar is a hit. Volkamer lemons have a yellow-reddish flesh with a high proportion of seeds, unlike most lemon types. They have a sweet and less acidic flavor than regular lemons because this red bumpy-skinned variety of lemons was bred with oranges.
Primofiori Lemons
Primofiori lemons (Citrus × limon ‘Primofiori’) are a kind of lemon with a smooth, thin rind and a bright yellow color that is popular in Spain. The high juice content of Primofiori lemons is one of the reasons why they are becoming such a popular type of lemon. This is the most popular lemon variety in Spain, according to certain estimates.
The Primofiori lemon is smaller than the Berna (Verna) variety, but it produces more juice. Fino lemons and Masero lemons are two more types of lemon grown from the Primofiori lemon tree.
Villafranca Lemons
The mid-sized lemons Villafranca lemons (Citrus × limon ‘Villafranca’) are a Sicilian variety of lemon. Villafranca lemons, in terms of size and shape, are not substantially different from Eureka lemons. The lemons are produced on thorny lemon trees with thick coverings.
Villafranca lemons are a excellent source of vitamin C and produce a lot of lemon oil, as do most lemon varieties. In Florida, the most cultivated lemon variety was Villafranca lemons. In Israel and Argentina, they are now widely grown. ‘Galligan Lisbon,’ and ‘Corona Foothill Eureka,’ for example, are two lemon cultivars from Villafranca lemons.
Rough Lemons
Rough lemons (Citrus x jambhiri) are a medium-sized Indian lemon with a rough bumpy skin. A cross between a citron and a mandarin, this hybrid lemon variety is unique. In comparison to the conventional lemon oblong form, the bumpy-skinned lemon has a rounder appearance. The lemon fruit isn’t one of the juiciest varieties, and it has little flesh. Its enormous oil glands give the rough yellow-green skin.
Citron
Citron (Citrus medica) is a big yellow citrus fruit from India that is sometimes known as citron because of its lemon flavor. All lemons are descended from the citron (Citrus medica), which is the original citrus fruit. On a normal lemon, the rind of citrons is rough and much tougher than it should be. Citrons have light-colored acidic flesh in the majority of their varieties, but some types don’t have any at all. As compared to ordinary lemons, citrons may reach enormous sizes. Some have been reported to weigh up to 10 pounds (5 kilograms)!
Persian Sweet Lemons
Persian Sweet Lemons look like Meyer Lemons and are a medium to small lemon variety. This lovely lemon has a smooth skin and a spherical shape. They have a sour orange flavor with a sweet/acidic balance. Lemon juice may occasionally have a grapefruit-like acidity.
Yen Ben Lemons
Yen Ben lemons (Citrus limon ‘Yen Ben’) are a lemon variety native to Australia that looks a lot like Lisbon lemons. Yen Ben lemons’ great quality is one of the reasons why they are so popular in the Southern Hemisphere. There is more flesh than Eureka or Lisbon types because of their thin light-yellow rind. The lemon fruit has a high juice output and minimal seeds. Yen Ben lemons have a very smooth, almost similar-to-Meyer skin, in contrast to rough lemons or pitted Eureka lemons.
Different Types of Seedless Lemons
Seedless lemons are produced by a variety of lemon trees. One of the most popular lemon types, for example, is the Seedless Lisbon variety. The Californian Seedless lemon and the Australian Seedless Eureka Lemon are two other types of seedless lemons.