Monday, December 23, 2013

Ichang Lemon


1/2 Ichang papeda and 1/2 Pummelo

 Citrus ichangensis x C. grandis (maxima)
 
Ichang Lemon is remarkably cold tolerant considering it's Pummelo parent.

Ichang lemon is a cross from China of Citrus ichangensis and C. grandis, the pummelo. It is also called Shangjuan, which means “fragrant ball” in Chinese, it is a heavy bearer of yellow grapefruit sized fruit. It has rough skinned fruit with many seeds.   Each fruit can yield up to ½ cup of juice, used fresh or for cooking and desserts... Some think the juice makes a better flavored pie than lemons.   

 Claims for hardiness vary.  It is considered hardy down to 5°F, -15°C to 10°F, -12°C[1]  Others say 10 degrees [2] or 20 [3]
It should not be hardier than Ichang papeda parent which is hardy to 15°F, -9°C, which, if fully dormant may be hardy to 10°F, -12°C or even 5°F, -15°C [4]
It grows well in Central Alabama [5]

 Fruit quality[6]

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8 comments:

  1. Tropical fruits loverAugust 14, 2019 at 9:49 PM

    It is so weird that you stated it as cold hardy as 5F while Ichang papeda is also as hardy as 5F when in dormancy. As some people reported, ichang lemon was damaged slightly at about 12F for a duration of more than 24 hours. Ichang pepda on the other hand has been reported that it could be grown in almost any temperate region.

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  2. alanAugust 15, 2019 at 10:17 AM

    This is not a new hybrid. It could be a natural cross that distinguished itself by being much hardier than others and was selected. If it is an F2 or later selection it could also be hardier than expected because of hardiness gene segregation.

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  3. UnknownDecember 18, 2020 at 5:12 PM

    I grow Ichang lemon at zone 8, 1 hour north of Austin, TX, USA since 2006. It is protected by my house, driway and oak trees. It is very fruitful. No freeze damage at -8 C(Celsius), mild freeze damage by -10C. The tree was never wrapped.
    Dr. Ludvik Donner

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    Replies
    1. alanDecember 19, 2020 at 12:31 PM

      Thank you for your input. It is good to know the specific type of damage caused by differences in temperature

      Delete
  4. UnknownJanuary 19, 2021 at 10:28 AM

    I have several IChang lemon trees, each over 15' tall, growing northwest of Tyler Texas right where Zone 7 and Zone 8 come together. Ten degrees F. does not slow them down. The top branches are loaded with grapefruit sized fruit right now (Jan 19). They were the rootstocks of some very old, potbound Meyer lemons I bought in South Texas in the 1990s which froze back. I have them established in the ground,
    out in an open pasture, right in the path of the north and northwest winds. I understand the Dept of Agriculture was importing these from 1919 onward, with some suggestion of planting them in groves as far north as (what is today) the I-40 corridor. Incredible thorn growth made them impractical for commercial picking operations, and abundant seeds discouraged consumers, even in the 1920s.

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    Replies
    1. alanJanuary 24, 2021 at 6:32 PM

      Thanks, reports of extra hardiness of the Ichang Lemon tree suggests that the parentage is mistaken. Cool to know the history of Ichang Lemons in Texas.

      Delete
  5. UnknownJanuary 8, 2022 at 3:43 PM

    Any tips... I've been growing mine here in Mount Enterprise Texas. I keep it in sun during the day then bring it in at night. It's only about 3 inches high. Do I need to transfer to the ground or consider a bigger pot. Its currently in a 6inch pot.

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  6. alanJanuary 13, 2022 at 9:09 PM

    When citrus are cold they will be dormant. So don't be too concerned in the winter. Keep it in a pot until it is at least a foot high, maybe higher. Planting in the ground exposes your plant to soil diseases. Also when you do transplant, make sure it is at the same level as it was in the pot. Bark exposed to soil can cause girdling and eventual death of the tree

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