Meyer Lemon of California’s Central Coast

Citrus ? meyeri

Print this Page Send to a Friend

Frank Meyer, an agricultural explorer for the US Department of Agriculture, introduced the Meyer Lemon to the US in 1908 after a plant-collecting trip to China.  The lemon is thought to be a cross between a true lemon and a mandarin orange.  The Meyer plant is commonly grown in China, where it is potted as an ornamental plant.  Genetic researchers at the University of California Riverside have made Meyer Lemon variations that are virtually virus-free.

The Meyer tree is small, reaching 6 to 8 feet at maturity.  It flower intermittently throughout the year, but the main season of fruit production is the spring.  The lemon is a medium sized, round fruit that has a beautiful golden yellow color.  The edible skin is shiny, and smooth with small pores.  The rind of the Meyer is thin, and the fruit very juicy, and less acidic than that of true lemons.

The Meyer Lemon became widely popular in the US after being rediscovered by chefs, such as Alice Waters at Chez Panisse, during the California Cuisine revolution.  It is now a favorite ingredient of pastry chefs.

Sources

Emerald Hills, CA
Karen Morss, Orchardess
Lemon Ladies Orchard
775 Upland Road
Emerald Hills, CA 94062
650-363-1600
http://www.lemonladies.com

Ventura CA
Randy Siple,
6500 Casitas Pass Road
Ventura CA 93001
Phone: 805-684-6494

Brokaw Nursery
Ventura, California
Phone: 805-647-2262

Carpinteria, CA
Ralph and Rachel Whitney,
401 Lambert Road
Carpinteria, CA 93013
Phone: 805-969-2901
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara Farmers Market: Laurence Hauben, Director
814 San Roque Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Phone: 805-682-4805
Fax: 805-682-4805
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Riverside, CA
UC Riverside Citrus Variety Collection
One of the world’s most diverse living collections of citrus and citrus relatives. (900 different types)
Contact: Curator Tracy L. Kahn, Ph.D.: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Mary Wellington of Wellington Farms
http://www.wellingtonfarms.com
James Hudson, 4 acres

Find Producers on LocalHarvest

http://www.localharvest.org/ark-product.jsp?id=120