The Australian climate lends itself well to citrus trees. These plants love the heat and can tolerate a certain amount of cold, and a number of them are capable of fruiting throughout the year in many parts of Australia. If you don’t yet have any citrus trees in your garden, you’re missing out! Here are three that are not only easy to grow, but also produce delicious fruits.
The Native Australian Finger Lime Tree
Native trees should always be your first choice. They’ve adapted to the local climate over hundreds, if not thousands, of years, making them extremely low-maintenance. In terms of native citrus trees, the Australian Finger Lime is one of the most popular. Cut one of the fruits open and you’ll notice small pearlescent buds within – they actually look very similar to caviar! Australian finger limes have a sharp and distinct flavour – it boasts the iconic tartness of other citrus fruits, but also has subtle grapefruit notes that come from the oils in the skin of the fruits.
The Australian Finger Lime Tree is an easy one to care for. It only grows to about seven feet in height once fully mature, making it a great option for small gardens, as well as growing in pots. They tolerate all types of soil too – all they really need is good drainage and enough space to thrive.
The Tahitian Lime Tree
Also known as the Persian lime tree, the Tahitian Lime Tree is known for being extraordinarily productive. Unlike most other citrus trees, this one produces fruit in its very first year, with yields becoming increasingly larger with age. Many compare the flavor of the fruits to the key lime, although the Tahitian lime tends to be less acidic, especially if you leave the fruits to ripen into a yellow color.
One of the standout features of this citrus tree is the fact that it’s ever-bearing. This means that the Tahitian Lime Tree produces flowers and fruits throughout the year. You can leave the fruits on the tree until you actually need them, providing you with a steady supply of limes all year round.
The Meyer Lemon Tree
If you prefer lemons to limes, then the Meyer Lemon Tree is a good choice for the Australian climate. It will tolerate both the hotter and the colder regions, producing big harvests every fall and winter. The fruits themselves are truly unique – they’re considered a hybrid fruit, falling somewhere in between a lemon and a mandarin orange. This means that they’re much sweeter than other lemon varieties, making them so versatile in the kitchen.
There are both standard and dwarf varieties of the Meyer Lemon Tree available. This makes them suitable for every type of space – whether you have a large garden, a few large GRC pots on a balcony, or a collection of indoor plants, the Meyer Lemon Tree will thrive.
There’s nothing quite like the convenience of having your own citrus trees and being able to harvest these fruits at their freshest. Not only are the fruits so much juicier and more flavourful than anything available in stores, but the trees also have a gorgeous architectural shape to them, giving them a beautiful ornamental quality too.