By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer
If you live somewhere warm enough for a Meyer lemon and aren't already growing one, why not? With its dark, green leaves and nice, compact size, this citrus tree is very ornamental. Its small, white flowers will also perfume your garden when they're in bloom, and that will be often. (It's that lovely, swoony orange-blossom scent all citrus share and we all adore.)
Then, of course, there's the crop. Meyer lemon trees often produce fruit nearly year-round. Their juice is sweeter than regular lemons and also a little floral, but it still has tang. Maybe not my first choice for a vinaigrette but wonderful with fish, poultry, and especially in desserts.
That's pretty much what I've been telling myself for years now without actually going out and buying a tree. But an article from the Los Angeles Times Food section called "100 things to do with a Meyer lemon" I came across again recently finally motivated me to get a tree in the ground.
Number 35 suggests: "Throw a Meyer lemon for your dog to catch and play with; you'll lose the lemon, but your dog's breath will smell fantastic." Sounds a lot more attractive than the chlorophyll scent of Greenies, and I can't wait to try it out on Lucy. Someone who already has both tree and dog want to try it out for me while I'm waiting for my Meyer to bear fruit?
To find out what the other 99 ways to use Meyer lemons in the LA Times story, follow this link.
More reasons to plant a Meyer lemon:
