Trying to identify my lemon tree

Discussion in 'Citrus' started by monkeydog, Nov 15, 2008.

  1. monkeydog

    monkeydog Active Member

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    I've got a lemon tree growing on my property that amazingly enough, I didn't even realize it was here until today. It's on the very edge of the property and just about covered up with poison ivy, virginia creeper, and saw briars, so I just never really noticed it. Now that I've discovered it, I'm on a mission to reclaim it from the vines that have taken possesion of it, learn about lemon growing, and see if I can improve next years fruit. (I counted about 20 lemons on the tree and several on the ground.)

    I've been looking on the net trying to identify the strain that I have here, I'm still not sure exactly what kind of lemon it is and hoping someone can help identify it.

    The tree itself is about 10-12 feet tall. It does not have any main trunk that I can discern- there are maybe nine or ten "trunks" of about equal girth coming out of the ground like a bush. I've read that some species have relatively few thorns, and others have many...this one is extremely thorny.

    The fruit itself is about golf ball size, and more round than oblong with not really any kind of "nipple" on the end. The skin is quite thin compared to a store bought lemon and very tight on the fruit. All the fruits that I cut today have six segments and are very juicy. They all average about 30 seeds.

    The tree is evidently quite hardy and resistant to cold weather as I live in Tennessee. My best guess from the reading I've done is that it is a Genoa lemon. I believe that to be a fairly uncommon strain though? I got a picture of the fruits, but can't get a decent pic of the tree it's self until I get some of the vines cleared out of it. Any thoughts on what kind of lemon this might be? Thanks for any ideas!
     

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  2. Millet

    Millet Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Looking at the picture, it looks like the leaves are trifoliate (3 leaf blades per each leaf petiole or stem). Also the branches in the upper left part of the photo, looks to have large thorns. This tree is in the citrus family "Poncirus Trifoliata". I really cannot see clear enough to be sure, but if the branches are quite twisted, with really nasty thorns, than it is a variety called Flying Dragon. Poncirus trees are very hardy, the fruit is very seedy and really bad tasting. - Millet
     
  3. monkeydog

    monkeydog Active Member

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    Many thanks Millet! I just looked up poncirus trifoliate, and it was an exact description of my tree. And after looking a bit further, I believe you are correct about it being the Flying Dragon. Yes, the thorns are large and viscious on twisting, curling branches. I was thinking when I first noticed the tree that it would be a miserable job trying to pick much of the fruit- you'd be bleeding like a stuck hog!

    When I tasted the fruit, it was very bitter and acrid, though quite lemony. I was hoping that it maybe had to do with the tree being neglected. I see now, however, thats how the poncirus is supposed to taste. It's still a pretty neat tree though, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it does next summer after I get it all cleaned up.

    Thanks again for your help Millet!
     
  4. Millet

    Millet Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Normally, Poncirus, and especially the variety Flying Dragon, are used only as a rootstock for grafted citrus trees, because Poncirus will impart some of it cold hardiness to the scion that has been grafted upon it. The chances are good, that originally a grafted citrus tree was planted, with the scion being a variety of "cold hardy" citrus, mandarin, or even a Meyer lemon. You might check to see if indeed one of the trunks has another citrus variety grafted to it. If there is still a living scion grafted onto one of the trunks, it will have unifoliate leaves (one leaf blade per petiole). Poncirus, is a deciduous variety, therefore it will loose all or most of it leaves during the winter months, but will produce new foliage in the spring. So don't worry when you see the leaves turn yellow and drop. - Millet
     
  5. monkeydog

    monkeydog Active Member

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    I went out and looked at the tree some more and cleared some more of the vines. Hoping you could look at these new pics and tell me what you think.

    My wife says that the tree is about 20- 25 years old and and she tried to cut it down several times 15-20 years ago as she considered it just a thorn bush and got tired of getting stuck by it. As you can see by the picture of the trunks, it has been severely pruned in the past. So, Do you reckon it's possible that another variety was grafted onto it in the beginning, and the grafted part was pruned off and then the rootstock continued to grow into the present tree?

    I can find no trunks or branches that appear any different. All of the leaves that are still on the tree are the same- clusters of three. All of the fruits also appear to be the same golf ball size bitter ones.

    Judging from these new pics, does the tree still appear to you to be the poncirus trifoliate? Also, at this stage in the tree's life, would it be possible to still graft onto it, or would it be better to start fresh with a new one?

    Really appreciate your input and citrus knowledge, Millet, I'm quite fascinated by this tree!
     

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  6. skeeterbug

    skeeterbug Active Member

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    It is not too late to graft. If you can get budwood I would recommend bark grafting--you could put several different varieties on the tree and bark grafting would work well on large diameter stock.
     
  7. skeeterbug

    skeeterbug Active Member

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    It is trifoliate (3 leaves is what that means). It is not too late to graft (but you may want to wait until spring when the bark is slipping). If you can get budwood I would recommend bark grafting--you could put several different varieties on the tree and bark grafting would work well on large diameter stock.
     
  8. monkeydog

    monkeydog Active Member

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    Thanks, Skeeterbug. I shall start researching and trying to learn all I can about grafting, over the winter. Two questions- bear with me as I'm completely new to this, What do you mean by "budwood"? Also, off the top of your head, do you know of any particularly good resources you would recomend for someone interested in grafting and actually caring for these trees?
     
  9. Millet

    Millet Well-Known Member 10 Years

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  10. monkeydog

    monkeydog Active Member

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    Thank you both, Millet, and Skeeter for all your help. I will spend some time at the forum you linked. I just looked at something from U.C. Davis and learned what budwood is, so I'm on my way!
     
  11. Laaz

    Laaz Active Member 10 Years

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    I would not attempt to graft this time of year in your climate, I can assure you all will fail. In S.E. Tennessee you don't have many options as far as edible fruit goes. Maybe a Citrumello or Ichange or one of it's hybrids.
     

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