Ponderosa lemon hybrid

Citrus × limon L. Burm.f.

Citrus pyriformis Hassk.

CRC 294

PI 539491

VI 409

Photos by David Karp and Toni Siebert, CVC. Photo rights.  

Source: Received as budwood from Dr. Fawcett's #127, Florida collection, 1914.

Parentage/origins: Possibly a hybrid between a citron and a lemon.

Rootstocks of accession: Yuma Ponderosa lemon

Season of ripeness at Riverside: Fruits mature throughout year.

Notes and observations:

Ponderosa lemon is a large fruit with a thick and bumpy rind.  Since both the tree and the fruit resemble citron in most respects, there is little doubt that Ponderosa is a hybrid between citron and lemon.  This variety originated about 1887 as seedling grown by George Bowman of Hagerstown, Maryland, and was named and introduced into the nursery trade in 1900.  Ponderosa makes a nice ornamental with its purple-tinged flowers and new growth, however it is sensitive to cold and very thorny.

Description from The Citrus Industry Vol. 1 (1967):

"Fruit medium-large, obovoid; collar radially ribbed or furrowed or short neck and low broad apical nipple; color lemon-yellow; seedy and monoembyonic.  Rind medium-thick and fleshy; surface smooth but slightly bumpy and indistinctly ribbed.  Flesh color pale green; juicy; flavor acid.  Fruits mature throughout year.
      Tree small, round-topped, and productive; branches medium-thick and thorny; leaves large elliptical to oblong and citron-like.  Flowers and new growth purple-tinged.  Everflowering.  Tree sensitive to cold.
      Both fruit and plant are clearly citron in most respects, and there can be little doubt that Ponderosa is a hybrid between citron and lemon.  According to Webber (1943), this variety originated about 1887 as a chance seedling (presumably of lemon) grown by George Bowman of Hagerstown, Maryland, and was named and introduced to the nursery trade in 1900.  If this account is accurate, the fruit from which the seed was obtained must have been of Italian origin.
      Ponderosa is of importance primarily as an oddity and ornamental, although the fruit can be used as a lemon substitute.  It is used somewhat as a tubbed plant in patios but most commonly as a dooryard ornamental in California and Florida. "
 

Availability: Commercially available in California through the Citrus Clonal Protection Program. Click here to order budwood.

USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network page for Ponderosa lemon