St Clements Citrus Guide 60 Plus Varieties Care Flavors and Garden Growing Tips

A citrus garden changes the way a backyard feels. One tree gives perfume, shade, glossy leaves, and fruit. A mixed planting gives you marmalade lemons in winter, mandarins for lunchboxes, limes for summer drinks, and finger limes that look like garden jewellery.

My own St. Clements Citrus patch started with a lemon, a mandarin, and one optimistic lime in a large pot. The first real harvest was small, just enough for a jar of marmalade and a bowl of fruit on the kitchen bench, but the scent of blossom made the whole garden feel generous. Since then, the collection has become a living tasting board of sweet, sharp, floral, bitter, and aromatic fruit.

A St Clements-style citrus patch rewards careful planning.

The St Clements citrus garden is about variety

Think of this style of garden as an orchard in miniature. It does not need to be huge. A sunny fence line, a few half wine barrels, and a well-drained bed can hold an impressive range if you choose compact trees and prune with purpose.

The joy comes from contrast. Lemons bring acid and zest. Mandarins bring easy sweetness. Oranges bring juice. Limes bring fragrance. Kumquats and calamondins bring peel, punch, and colour. A few unusual types, such as yuzu, bergamot, or Buddha’s hand, turn cooking into play.

60 plus citrus varieties worth growing

Use this list as a tasting guide. Some suit warm, frost-free gardens. Others handle cooler spots. Availability changes by nursery and region, so choose grafted plants suited to your local conditions.

Variety	Character, flavour, and best use
Meyer lemon	Thin-skinned, juicy, gently acidic, excellent for cakes, curd, and preserving.
Eureka lemon	Classic supermarket-style lemon, sharp and reliable, useful almost year round.
Lisbon lemon	Strong flavour, hardy growth, great for juice and zest.
Yen Ben lemon	Smooth fruit, high juice, prized for clean lemon flavour.
Verna lemon	Large Spanish type, mild acid, good for slicing and drinks.
Ponderosa lemon	Huge fruit, thick rind, dramatic in pots and marmalade.
Femminello lemon	Italian-style lemon, aromatic zest, lovely for seafood and pasta.
Villafranca lemon	Sharp, juicy fruit, a dependable kitchen lemon.
Rough lemon	Seedy and tangy, often valued more as rootstock than dessert fruit.
Lemonade fruit	Low acid, sweet lemon flavour, eaten fresh like an orange.
Washington navel orange	Seedless, sweet, easy to peel, a top fresh-eating orange.
Lane Late navel	Later ripening navel, extends the orange season beautifully.
Valencia orange	Juicy, balanced, ideal for fresh orange juice.
Cara Cara orange	Pink flesh, sweet berry-like notes, excellent sliced fresh.
Blood orange Moro	Deep colour, bold flavour, good for juice and salads.
Blood orange Tarocco	Sweet, fragrant, less bitter than some blood oranges.
Blood orange Sanguinello	Rich colour, complex flavour, good for desserts and drinks.
Seville orange	Bitter and aromatic, the classic marmalade orange.
Bergamot orange	Floral rind, famous for perfumed zest and tea flavouring.
Chinotto orange	Small, bitter fruit, used in syrups and bittersweet drinks.
Bouquet de Fleurs sour orange	Fragrant flowers, bitter fruit, beautiful near paths.
Clementine mandarin	Sweet, neat, usually easy peeling, brilliant for snacking.
Satsuma mandarin	Early, seedless type, soft segments, reliable in cooler areas.
Imperial mandarin	Australian favourite, aromatic, easy to peel, bright and sweet.
Emperor mandarin	Rich flavour, slightly firmer peel, good backyard tree.
Honey Murcott mandarin	Deep orange, sweet, juicy, sometimes seedy but delicious.
Afourer mandarin	Rich and sweet, late season, excellent lunchbox fruit.
Dancy mandarin	Old-fashioned flavour, spicy-sweet, often very aromatic.
Pixie mandarin	Small, sweet, late fruiting, good for mixed orchards.
Kishu mandarin	Tiny, seedless, very sweet, perfect for children’s snacks.
Ponkan mandarin	Large, loose-skinned, tropical sweetness and low acidity.
Shiranui mandarin	Bumpy fruit, very sweet, rich flavour, best eaten fresh.
Minneola tangelo	Bell-shaped, juicy, tangy-sweet, excellent breakfast fruit.
Orlando tangelo	Mild, sweet-tart hybrid, useful for juice and fresh eating.
Jamaican tangelo	Often sold as ugli fruit, loose rind, juicy, tangy flesh.
Tahitian lime	Seedless, juicy, reliable, the main lime for drinks and cooking.
Mexican lime	Small, highly aromatic, also known as Key lime.
Makrut lime	Grown for fragrant leaves and knobbly rind, essential in curries.
Finger lime	Native Australian citrus with citrus pearls, superb on seafood.
Rangpur lime	Orange-skinned, mandarin-like, sharp and fragrant.
Desert lime	Tiny native fruit, intense flavour, good for sauces and preserves.
Australian round lime	Native, small and aromatic, useful in bushfood-style cooking.
Palestine sweet lime	Mild, low acid, sweet juice, gentle fresh eating fruit.
Eustis limequat	Lime-kumquat hybrid, tart fruit, compact and pot-friendly.
Lakeland limequat	Productive, tangy, good for drinks and marmalade.
Calamondin	Small sour orange fruit, ornamental, excellent for marmalade and marinades.
Nagami kumquat	Oval fruit eaten whole, sweet peel and tart flesh.
Marumi kumquat	Round fruit, spicy-sweet peel, attractive compact tree.
Meiwa kumquat	Sweeter kumquat, pleasant fresh from the tree.
Fukushu kumquat	Larger fruit, sweet rind, handsome container plant.
Marsh grapefruit	Pale flesh, mild bitterness, good for breakfast.
Ruby Red grapefruit	Pink flesh, sweeter than white types, excellent juiced.
Star Ruby grapefruit	Deep red flesh, strong colour, sweet-tart flavour.
Oroblanco grapefruit hybrid	Low acid, sweet, thick rind, refreshing chilled.
Cocktail grapefruit hybrid	Juicy, sweet-tart, complex flavour, best fresh.
Chandler pomelo	Huge fruit, pink flesh, mild sweetness, impressive on the table.
Tahitian pomelo	Large, gentle flavour, good for salads and sharing.
Yuzu	Sour, floral, aromatic rind, brilliant in dressings and desserts.
Sudachi	Small green Japanese citrus, sharp juice for fish and noodles.
Kabosu	Fragrant, sour, rounded flavour, excellent in sauces.
Citron	Thick peel, little juice, used for candied rind.
Buddha’s hand citron	Fingered fruit, all perfume and zest, stunning ornamental.
Etrog citron	Thick-rinded, fragrant, grown for culinary and ceremonial uses.
Trifoliate orange	Bitter, hardy, often grown as rootstock or a hedge.
Flying Dragon	Twisted dwarfing rootstock, ornamental and useful for small trees.
Citrumelo	Grapefruit and trifoliate hybrid, hardy, tart, often used as rootstock.
Citrange	Orange and trifoliate hybrid, cold-tolerant, tart fruit, useful rootstock.

Small citrus fruits add drama as well as flavour.

How the flavours work in the kitchen

A mixed citrus garden is easiest to use when you think in flavour groups.

Sweet and fresh types, such as navels, Cara Cara, clementines, and Imperial mandarins, are best eaten straight from the tree. Chill them first on hot days, then slice them into salads with mint or fennel.

Sharp and practical fruit, including Eureka, Lisbon, Tahitian lime, yuzu, and sudachi, earns its space every week. These are the fruits for dressings, marinades, curd, sauces, and squeezing over grilled fish.

Bitter and aromatic choices, such as Seville orange, bergamot, chinotto, and citron, are the marmalade and peel champions. They may not win as fresh snacks, but they give preserves real depth.

Ornamental but useful plants, such as Buddha’s hand, calamondin, kumquat, and Flying Dragon, make a citrus collection feel special. They suit pots near a sunny entrance, where their blossoms and fruit can be enjoyed up close.

One of my favourite garden habits is brushing past the makrut lime after watering. The leaves release that unmistakable curry-leaf citrus perfume. It is the kind of small reward that makes watering feel less like a chore.

Care and maintenance for healthy trees

Most citrus trees want the same basic conditions: sun, drainage, steady moisture, and regular feeding. Get those right and the trees are forgiving.

Give them sun and shelter

Aim for at least six hours of direct sun. More is better, especially for sweet oranges and mandarins. In windy gardens, plant near a fence or use a light windbreak. Hot, dry wind can scar young fruit and dry new growth.

Plant into drainage, not mud

Citrus hates sitting in wet soil. In heavy clay, use a raised mound, raised bed, or large pot. In pots, choose a premium potting mix and a container with generous drainage holes.

Plant grafted trees with the graft union above soil level. Keep mulch away from the trunk to avoid collar rot.

Water deeply, then let the top soil breathe

Young trees need steady moisture while roots establish. Mature trees cope better, but dry spells can cause fruit drop, split fruit, and curled leaves. Deep watering encourages deeper roots.

In pots, check moisture with a finger rather than guessing. Terracotta dries faster than plastic, and citrus in full summer sun can drink quickly.

Potted citrus needs steady watering and excellent drainage.

Feed little and often in the growing season

Citrus are hungry plants. Use a citrus fertiliser or a balanced organic blend through the active growing months, following the label. Yellow leaves can point to nitrogen, iron, or magnesium shortage, but poor drainage can look similar, so check the soil before adding more feed.

A seasonal routine works well:

• Feed as new spring growth begins.

• Water before and after applying fertiliser.

• Add compost around the drip line, not against the trunk.

• Top up mulch to keep roots cool.

• Reduce feeding in cold weather when growth slows.

  
  

Prune for light, shape, and access

You do not need to prune citrus hard. Remove dead wood, crossing branches, and shoots below the graft. Keep the centre open enough for light and airflow. For pots, trim lightly after harvest to hold the shape.

When my first Meyer lemon became too dense, I removed three inward-growing branches rather than shearing the whole plant. The next season, the fruit coloured better and picking was much easier.

Watch pests before they build up

Common citrus problems include scale, aphids, citrus leafminer, stink bugs, and sooty mould. Healthy trees handle small outbreaks, but early action helps.

Use a gentle approach first:

• Hose off aphids on soft new shoots.

• Encourage ladybirds, hoverflies, and lacewings.

• Remove badly damaged leaves.

• Use horticultural oil when needed, following the label.

• Avoid spraying during extreme heat or when bees are active.

  
  

Tips for a successful St Clements style planting

Choose varieties that ripen across the year. A good starter mix might include a lemon, a navel orange, a mandarin, a lime, a kumquat, and one unusual fruit such as yuzu or finger lime.

For small spaces, pots are your friend. Dwarf grafted trees in large containers can be productive and beautiful. Match the pot size to the tree, then refresh the mix over time as it settles.

Label everything. Citrus can look surprisingly similar when young. A weatherproof tag saves confusion later, especially once the collection grows beyond a few trees.

Harvest by taste, not colour alone. Some fruit colours early but needs more time to sweeten. Pick one, taste it, then decide whether the rest should stay on the tree.

Most of all, grow what you will actually use. A perfect grapefruit is wasted if nobody eats grapefruit. A single productive lime, by contrast, can become part of dinner three nights a week.

A mixed harvest shows why citrus collections are so rewarding.

A St Clements-style citrus garden is part orchard, part pantry, and part sensory pleasure. Start with the fruit you love most, then add contrast. With sun, drainage, food, water, and a little watchfulness, a backyard collection can carry flavour through much of the year and make even a quick walk outside feel like harvest time.