The ponderosa lemon (''Citrus'' × ''pyriformis'') (also called Skierniewice lemonKonarska, A., and E. Weryszko-Chmielewska. "Micromorphology, anatomy and ultrastructure of nectaries in two types of flowers of Citrus limon cv.‘Ponderosa’." Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Hortorum Cultus 15.6 (2016).) is a

citrus hybrid Citrus taxonomy refers to the botanical classification of the species, varieties, cultivars, and graft hybrids within the genus ''Citrus'' and related genera, found in cultivation and in the wild. Citrus taxonomy is complex and controversial. ...

of a

pomelo The pomelo ( ), ''Citrus maxima'', is the largest citrus fruit from the family Rutaceae and the principal ancestor of the grapefruit. It is a natural, non-hybrid, citrus fruit, native to Southeast Asia. Similar in taste to a sweet grapefr ...

and a

citron The citron (''Citrus medica''), historically cedrate, is a large fragrant citrus fruit with a thick rind. It is said to resemble a 'huge, rough lemon'. It is one of the original citrus fruits from which all other citrus types developed throu ...

. It is not the same as the 'Yuma Ponderosa' lemon-pomelo

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

used as

citrus rootstock Citrus rootstock are plants used as rootstock for citrus plants. A rootstock plant must be compatible for scion grafting, and resistant to common threats, such as drought, frost, and common citrus diseases. Principal rootstocks Five types of rootst ...

Description

Ponderosa lemon trees are slow growing but reach a height of at maturity. The leaves are long, evergreen, glossy, and citron-like, being ovate elliptic in shape and lemon scented. They have medium-thick branches with many spines. New growth is purple-tinged, as are the flowers. Ponderosa lemon also has larger than average citrus flowers, and bears fruit throughout the year. When grown as an ornamental, it requires pruning to control the shape, and may be trained as a bush or tree. Ponderosa lemon is less cold-hardy than a true lemon. It bears medium to large fruit with a thick and bumpy rind. The fruits are seedy, and while they look similar to a citron, they taste like a

lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

Origin and History

The ponderosa lemon originated in roughly 1887, and is believed to come from a chance seedling grown in

Hagerstown, Maryland Hagerstown is a city in Washington County, Maryland, United States and the county seat of Washington County. The population of Hagerstown city proper at the 2020 census was 43,527, and the population of the Hagerstown metropolitan area (exten ...

. It was later named and introduced to the nursery trade in 1900. In

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

, pomologist Szczepan Pieniążek introduced the so-called Skierniewice lemons (pl. cytryna skierniewicka) and popularized their growing in Polish homes, which was meaningful at the time because of the relative scarcity of imported fruits. Though often referred to as a cross between the lemon and citron, a recent genomic analysis showed it to solely contain

(''Citrus maxima'') and citron (''Citrus medica'') DNA, perhaps being an

F2 hybrid An F1 hybrid (also known as filial 1 hybrid) is the first filial generation of offspring of distinctly different parental types. F1 hybrids are used in genetics, and in selective breeding, where the term F1 crossbreed may be used. The term is somet ...

. Thus they cannot derive from true lemons, which have a

mandarin orange The mandarin orange (''Citrus reticulata''), also known as the mandarin or mandarine, is a small citrus tree fruit. Treated as a distinct species of orange, it is usually eaten plain or in fruit salads. Tangerines are a group of orange-colou ...

component.

Uses

Ponderosa lemon is not widely grown commercially, but it is commonly grown as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

. In areas where the winter's cold may damage the plant, they are grown in containers. In such cases they are usually

grafted Grafting or graftage is a horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together. The upper part of the combined plant is called the scion () while the lower part is called the rootstock. The succ ...

dwarf Dwarf or dwarves may refer to: Common uses *Dwarf (folklore), a being from Germanic mythology and folklore * Dwarf, a person or animal with dwarfism Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Dwarf (''Dungeons & Dragons''), a humanoid ...

rootstock A rootstock is part of a plant, often an underground part, from which new above-ground growth can be produced. It could also be described as a stem with a well developed root system, to which a bud from another plant is grafted. It can refer to a ...

s to help maintain a smaller, more manageable size. The impressive sized fruits may be left on the tree for many months after they've ripened without a drop in the fruits' quality. In addition, like citron, Ponderosa lemon trees can flower and bear fruit at the same time, further adding to the visual appeal. While the fruit are larger than that of a normal lemon, they have the same flavor and acidity. As such, the fruit can be used in place of true lemons. There is enough juice for several lemon pies in just one large Ponderosa lemon, and they can replace lemons measure for measure in recipes.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2974484 Lemons Citron Citrus Citrus hybrids