Growing Dwarf Citrus Trees Indoors, Part 2

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Darcy Logan

Now that you understand more about growing citrus plants, here are some of the more common varieties of dwarf citrus fruit trees available.

Meyer Lemon. The hardy nature and extended blooming time of the Meyer lemon has made it one of the most popular dwarf trees. However, it is not a true lemon but rather a hybrid of a sweet orange and lemon. Its fruit looks more like a large yellowish orange and its juice is sweeter than most other lemons. Many of these trees are labeled as "improved" Meyer lemons. The improved refers to the 1975 virus-free version that was developed by the University of California. Meyers will usually bloom in the spring and produce fruit in the fall and winter. This is one of the few citrus trees that do not require direct sunlight to ripen its fruit. If maintained, this tree will grow to heights of about 3 to 5 feet tall and about 3 to 4 feet wide.

Variegated Pink Eureka Lemon. Variegated pink eureka lemons are white and pink when they are young and grow to become green and yellow striped with a pink flesh. Even the leaves are variegated green and white. It produces a larger fruit than the Meyer lemons. Each spring this tree produces fuchsia colored flowers that should ripen into enough fruit to make pink lemonade the following fall. They like lots of sun and can be grown outdoors in zones 9-11.

Key Lime. The key lime is also known as the Mexican lime, the West Indian lime, and the bartender lime. They need bright, indirect sunlight with at least four hours of direct sunlight, preferably from a window with a southern exposure, and will not bloom if kept in lower light levels. Key limes should be allowed to approach dryness before they are watered and only require average humidity levels. Leaves will begin to drop if the soil gets too wet or too dry. They should be fertilized regularly with an acid-balanced fertilizer.

Kaffir Lime. If you are into Thai cooking, you may want to consider growing the key lime's cousin, the Kaffir lime. Its growing conditions are similar to the key limes, but both its fruit and leaves are a common ingredient in most Thai dishes.

Navel Oranges. Dwarf navel oranges will produce white blooms about mid spring that ripen into fruit about seven to ten months later. They need full-sun exposure and require direct sunlight in order for the fruit to ripen. In a container, it can grow to a height of about 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Young fruit should be removed from this tree the first year it appears to allow the tree to grow stronger. Outdoors, this plant is agreeable to zones 9-11.

Mandarin Orange. The Mandarin orange is not really an orange; it is a kumquat hybrid. It can be kept small naturally by pruning. Otherwise, it will grow to heights of 12 to 20 feet. It needs lots of light and at least four hours of direct sunlight in order for the fruit to ripen.

Oro Blanco Grapefruit. The oro blanco is actually a cross between a white grapefruit and a pummelo. It is sweeter than other white grapefruit and is capable of producing edible fruit without high heat or direct sunlight. It grows only about 3 feet high and blooms in the spring.

Tangerine. Dwarf tangerine trees are much smaller than other citrus trees, only growing to heights of about 2 to 5 feet with similar spreads. They need lots of light with at least four hours of direct sunlight, preferably from a window with a southern exposure. They will not bloom unless they receive enough light. Plenty of ventilation and high humidity are essential for these trees during the summer. In the winter, they should be kept dryer and only watered every ten days. They can be grown outdoors in zones 9-10.

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