Lemon
Lemon is a fruit in the Rutaceae family. It grows best in full sun with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 9-11.
Varieties
1 · sorted by days to maturity▸Lemon
PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Tree fruit (grafted) (not currently in seed catalog). Use: Juice, zest, cooking. Note: Self-fertile and ever-bearing; the least cold-hardy common citrus. Container-grown north of zone 9.
Lemon (Citrus limon) is an evergreen, self-fertile citrus grown from grafted stock. Frost-sensitive; hardy in the ground only in zones 9-11, otherwise a container plant brought indoors for winter.
Growing notes: Botanical name: Citrus limon|Hardiness zones: 9-11|Propagation: grafting|Sun needs: Full sun|Water needs: Medium|Mature height: 10-20 feet
Plan your lemon planting
Add lemon to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.
Start your free plan →At a glance
Storing & preserving
Refrigerate ripe fruit; ripen firm fruit at room temperature.
- Freeze: Freezes well raw; spread on a tray first so pieces stay loose.
- Preserve: Make jam or water-bath can high-acid fruit.
- Dry: Dehydrate or air-dry, then store airtight away from light.
General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Growing timeline
Care & troubleshooting
No curated care & troubleshooting advice for lemon yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.