Lemon Trees

Choosing between Eureka, Lisbon, Meyer and Lemonicious

Eureka is the lemon most Australians picture: sharply acidic fruit with very few seeds, carried in flushes for much of the year in warm climates. The tree reaches about 4m, and of the four here it is the least frost tolerant, so it is happiest along the coast and from Sydney north. Lisbon looks similar in the fruit bowl but the tree is tougher. It handles both frost and hot inland summers better than Eureka, carries its main crop through winter, and grows with real vigour to a similar size. It is the thorniest of the group, worth knowing if you are planting beside a path.

Meyer is the pick for cooler gardens and pots. A natural cross between a lemon and a sweet orange, it gives rounder, thinner skinned fruit with a gentler acid that many cooks prefer, on a compact tree of 2m to 3m. It is the most cold tolerant lemon commonly grown in Australia, and tubestock starts at $22.95. Lemonicious is a modern compact selection that produces full sized, heavy cropping fruit over a long season on a tidy plant, which is why it is sold in packs of three, six and ten: it makes a genuinely productive low screen or a matched row of pots.

Where lemon trees grow well in Australia

In subtropical and warm temperate gardens, any of the four will thrive. In cool temperate areas, including Melbourne, Canberra, the Adelaide Hills and Tasmania, start with Meyer and give any young lemon a sheltered, north facing position; a brick wall that radiates warmth overnight makes a real difference. In the tropics, lemons grow quickly but wet season humidity brings fungal pressure, so prune for airflow and keep mulch off the trunk. Inland, Lisbon is the standout, shrugging off big temperature swings as long as it gets a deep weekly soak in summer.

Planting and care basics

Lemons want full sun, six hours a day at minimum, and soil that drains freely. In heavy clay, plant into a raised bed or mound about 30cm high rather than fighting the drainage. Dig the hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in well, and mulch 50mm to 75mm deep, keeping mulch a hand width clear of the trunk. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then settle into a deep weekly soak while the tree is flowering and fruiting. Feed with a citrus fertiliser in late winter and again in midsummer. In pots, use a 400mm to 500mm container with premium potting mix, feed little and often through the warm months, and never let the mix dry right out while fruit is setting. Our lemon tree care guide walks through the first two years in detail, and growing citrus in an Australian backyard covers feeding and common problems across the whole citrus family.

Common questions

Do I need two trees to get fruit?

No. Every lemon here is self pollinating, so a single tree will set fruit on its own. A second tree buys you more lemons, not better pollination.

How long until my tree fruits?

Grafted trees in 250mm pots and larger often flower in their first year and give a worthwhile crop within one to two years. Tubestock takes two to three. Removing half of the very first fruit set pushes energy into the frame and pays you back the following season.

Which lemon is best in a pot?

Lemonicious first, Meyer a close second. Both stay compact and crop heavily in a 400mm or larger pot. Eureka and Lisbon are better in the ground, where their vigour becomes an asset instead of a pruning job.

Will a lemon tree cope with frost?

An established Meyer takes light frost in its stride, and Lisbon is not far behind. Eureka is the most tender. Whichever you plant, cover young trees with frost fleece on cold nights for their first two winters; it is the young growth that gets burnt.

Why are some varieties sold in packs?

The packs of three, six and ten suit edible screens and orchard rows: Lemonicious planted 1.5m apart makes a productive hedge. Packs also make better use of freight, since delivery from $29.95 covers the box, not each plant. If you want more variety in the mix, the wider citrus range and our fruit tree collection ship in the same order.