Lemon - Citrus limon Femminello Carrubaro

The 'Carrubaro' lemon is a variety very similar to the Citrus Femminello but produces flowers and fruits arranged in clusters as well as young shoots and floral buds of a beautiful reddish-purple. This very productive variety has a main spring flowering, but an older plant will bear fruit throughout the year. The white flowers are tinged with purple, as are the very young fruits that will turn bright yellow when ripe. This variety with beautiful contrasting colours is still rare. Sensitive to cold temperatures below -4°C (24.8 °F), it is only grown in open ground in mild climates; elsewhere, it is best grown in a large container, overwintered in a greenhouse or conservatory to protect it from frost.

The lemon tree, Citrus limon in Latin, is a relatively vigorous citrus tree that forms a small tree with a spreading and rounded habit, both ornamental and useful. It is one of the most cultivated citrus trees by amateur gardeners, due to its easy cultivation, fast growth, and quick fruiting. The lemon tree produces, from a young age, white flowers tinged with purple that give rise to these oval and yellow fruits when ripe, highly appreciated worldwide. Rich in vitamins, lemon is considered a panacea by some eminent naturopaths. Hardy up to about -7°C (19.4 °F), lemon trees and their varieties are extensively grown in open ground all around the Mediterranean. They also perform very well in pots, overwintered elsewhere. Femminello-type lemons are very common in Italy. The 'Femminello Carrubo' lemon is said to be a spontaneous mutation of the common Femminello; this variety owes its name to its resemblance to the Carob tree, a typical tree of Mediterranean regions.

The Citrus limon is a small tree of the Rutaceae family, like all citrus trees. It probably originates from Southeast Himalayas, Assam, and Northern Burma, and is the result of hybridisation between the Lemon tree and the Bitter orange. It has a spreading habit, wider than tall. It can reach 3 to 5m (9 ft 10 in to 16 ft 5 in) in height when grown in open ground, but will remain smaller in a pot. The young branches are tinged with purple, then they become more grey with age. They bear entire, ovate to lanceolate leaves, 5 to 10cm (2 to 3.9 in) long and 3 to 4cm (1.2 to 1.6 in) wide, light and vivid green. Flowering mainly takes place in spring, in May-June, but can occur again during the summer. The purple floral buds open into small star-shaped white flowers tinged with purple. Flowering is followed by the formation of oval fruits with a small rounded apex. They measure about 6cm (2.4 in) in diameter and 10cm (3.9 in) in length. Their thick green skin turns bright yellow when ripe. They are very rich in essential oils. The yellow-green pulp is very acidic and juicy, rich in citric acid, minerals, and vitamins C, A, and B but low in sugars.

Cultivated for its ornamental qualities as well as for its lemons, the Lemon tree belongs to the culinary traditions of all regions of the world. Its use is widely spread in savoury or sweet dishes and its juice is used in refreshing drinks or cocktails, as well as a condiment in sauces and carpaccios. The zest is often used to flavour pastries and desserts. In addition to its nutritional importance, the lemon tree is also a medicinal plant whose therapeutic properties, used for centuries in traditional medicine, are now scientifically proven. The zest of the lemon, very rich in essential oil, is widely used in aromatherapy and perfumery. Easy to store, this citrus fruit was once carried on ships, providing a good source of vitamins to fight against scurvy. Lemon wood is used in cabinet-making.

Like all Citrus, the Citrus limon 'Femminello Carrubaro' contains pockets of essential oil in its leaves, flowers, and fruits, often visible to the naked eye, from which essential oil with dermatological and cosmetic, tonic, and disinfectant properties is extracted by distillation (flower and leaves) or by pressing (zest). The fragrance of the essential oil is described as fresh, pleasant, sweet, and lemony.
Most citrus trees thrive in open ground in Mediterranean coastal regions where they find the necessary heat all year round. Elsewhere, they should be grown in pots and stored away at the first sign of cold temperatures. Not very hardy, the Lemon tree begins to suffer from cold temperatures below -5°C (23 °F) and dies beyond -10°C (14 °F).

Flowering and pollination: The Lemon tree is a self-fertile bush, which means that a single individual is sufficient for complete pollination and fruit set. However, if your citrus tree remains indoors permanently, you will need to occasionally let the pollinators do their work or, if you feel delicate enough, perform hand pollination with a brush.