The Mysterious Meyer and his lemon
The Meyer lemon is popular in both cooking and gardening. Here’s a brief history of what’s so special about this fascinating fruit, and the Dutch explorer who faced death to bring it to us.
Do you know the rhetorical question, “If your life were a book, would anyone want to read it?” Well, Frank Meyer’s life makes for an enthralling book, and as far as I know, there is only one biography about the man. Born in Amsterdam, he lived the definition of “wanderlust,” walking to Italy to visit orange groves, taking months to wander Europe, and eventually buying a one-way ticket to the United States.
An experienced horticulturist and avocational botanist, he soon found employment with the USDA, where David Fairchild recognized his love for travel and knowledge of plants as invaluable. Fairchild sought a plantsman to explore the great biodiversity of China for plants that could help American farmers with rootstock and crops tolerant of cold and pests.
In an odyssey that couldn’t be replicated today, Meyer shipped out to Beijing in 1905 and wandered for months, also exploring Mongolia and what is today North Korea. Walking 20 to 35 miles a day, Meyer’s group ultimately reached Siberia, where he sought cold- and drought-tolerant vegetables and trees that could be of use particularly in America’s northwestern prairie states.
Threatened at gunpoint more than once, Meyer was not easily discouraged by danger or discomfort, and his determination was soon rewarded when he found the legendary “pound peach” (Prunus persica) of Shantung (Shandong), which sometimes weighs more than a pound.
In Beijing he discovered people growing an attractive little “dooryard” plant with glossy green leaves and dangling yellow fruit. A rather small citrus tree to 10 feet, it was kept in pots as a cheerful greeting at front doors.
Sent back to the U.S. by Meyer, by 1908 this plant was being grown in experimental USDA plots, and eventually introduced to cultivation. The Meyer lemon was born. The fruit is generally rounder than a supermarket lemon (Citrus limon) without the tapered nipple, and thinner skinned. The flesh is sometimes a deeper yellow, and is less acidic and sweeter than regular lemons. It’s thought to be a hybrid of lemon and mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata) but that’s not a certainty as its history before Meyer is unknown.
If you now acquire a Meyer lemon tree, I have to tell you, it’s not the same Meyer lemon. It is an “improved” Meyer lemon. The original was found to be a carrier of the tristeza virus and all were destroyed. One group of trees was, however, found to be virus free. It was nurtured at the University of California and by 1975 released as the improved version.
Meyer lemon seems to like sandy soil and lots of sun. In warm locales it can be planted outdoors, where fruiting can occur year round. Lemons normally are more cold-sensitive than oranges, but the Meyer lemon’s possible orange parentage increases its tolerance. Be sure to prune it, especially vertical growth and new tips.
Mine initially fruited quite a bit, but has since stopped. I suspect it was shaded out by nearby plants. For about a year now it’s had more sun — they need 6-8 hours a day — and grows healthy dark green foliage like mad. Citrus fertilizer provides nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) plus minor nutrients. In Florida, three applications of citrus fertilizer in approximately January, May, and November around the dripline and about double the diameter of the canopy radius is ideal.
As a citrus, it’s also a host plant for the magnificent giant swallowtail butterfly.
In addition, a foliar nutrient spray helps balance out our alkaline soils. But excess fertilizer may cause foliage growth but no fruit, so more is not better. When you do see fruit, remember it takes about 10 months to mature and yellow. Don’t pick it before it’s ready, as citrus does not ripen off the plant. I never water my established tree, but when newly planted or in a pot, lemons need deep but infrequent watering. Keep soil moist, but let the surface dry a bit.
Now you can grow Meyer lemons on a sunny balcony or other small space. When the lemon blossoms burst open, be sure to enjoy their sweet smell before the lemons come. The fruit takes its sweet time to ripen to golden yellow, but the emerald green leaves and pendulous golden fruit are worth it.