Join the Victory Garden movement! It seems like everyone is adding fruiting trees and plants to their landscape, no matter how large or small. After all, one of the best things in life to enjoy the taste, fragrance and health benefits of homegrown fruit.
There is also something very satisfying about the feeling of being prepared. People all across the country are realizing how fulfilling it is to grow food for themselves, family and friends.
Beyond sowing the seeds of a vegetable garden, why not add Citrus trees in your Victory Garden design? Growing your own lemons, limes, oranges and other Citrus varieties save you a lot of money over the long haul.
You will get your Vitamin C, and a lovely plant to enjoy year-round. It doesn’t take much room to grow super-fresh fruit in your living space. Gain access to these “nutrient powerhouses” by growing Citrus trees in containers!
Read on for a roundup of the Top 20 Citrus tree varieties that do well in containers. Imagine producing an abundant supply of lemons, limes, oranges, kumquats, pomegranates and much more in pots on your balcony, patio, deck or porch!
Why is Growing Citrus Trees in Containers Dangerous?
Once you get a taste for Citrus tree care, you will want to add more of these cool, broadleaved evergreens to your life. Consider this your warning!
Don’t be surprised if you wind up with a lavish food forest on your balcony. Beyond Lemon trees, there are many options to choose from. We have worked up a “wish list” below.
It is really fun to watch the developing fruit. As an added benefit, the waxy, white, tropical blossoms smell amazing.
Start with one plant and add to your collection over time. Or, get started with several of your favorites right away and get a jump start on fruit production!
Top 20 Varieties Growing Citrus Trees in Pots
Here are the best varieties for a successful harvest from a container-grown Citrus plant. We are so pleased to offer these “commercial orchard-grade” plants to consumers.
However, there may be shipping restrictions that we must abide by. Nature Hills follows every regulation to the letter.
To see if we can ship a certain plant into your area, just type in your Zip Code on the Zone Finder located on all of our product pages above the Plant Highlights section.
Best Varieties for Growing Lemon Trees in Pots
Improved Dwarf Meyer Lemon trees feature fruit with a sweeter taste. They are a wonderful blend of a Lemon and a Mandarin Orange. The exceptional rounded, orange-yellow fruit is fabulous for cooking, baking, juicing and spritzed into cocktails.
Eureka Lemon is a “true lemon” with tart juice and a rind that adds a flavorful zest to desserts. These pale yellow lemons can be preserved in olive oil for use to flavor chicken dishes. Or, add the juice to water for a healthy “pick-me-up “any time of day.
Best Varieties for Growing Limes in Pots
Bearss Lime trees produces juicy limes all year long. This is a perfect gift tree for foodies, bartenders, or Jimmy Buffet fans. You will find a million ways to enjoy the fruit, and it is a lush, good-looking tree, as well.
Australian Finger Lime is one of the most interesting Citrus trees, and will sell out very quickly. They product pickle-shaped, green fruit that opens to reveal “pearls” of juicy lime caviar. The pearls add incredible flavor to meals and cocktails alike.
Rangpur Lime trees produces orange fruit! It’s called a lime, but is actually a natural cross between Lemon and Orange trees. It peels and sections like an orange, but tastes like a lemon. And it smells like honeysuckle!
Let’s face it. You’ve just got to get one.
Eustis Limequat trees are another fun selection that is a natural cross of the luscious Key Lime and the Marumi Kumquat. You will get the flavor of lime with the thin, edible skin of the kumquat. It makes a wonderful addition to your Victory Garden.
Best Varieties for Growing Oranges in Pots
Dancy Tangerine is a national treasure. This Mandarin variety was originally from Tangiers, Morocco. It is widely used in Chinese New Year celebrations. The fruit is delicious, easy to peel and great for indoor/outdoor container culture.
Clementine Mandarin Orange trees produce perfect, snack-sized, cute little Mandarin Oranges. Kids adore them, and you will love the fresh taste of homegrown Clementines. The seedless fruits are sweet and juicy, and are one of the earliest to ripen.
Owari Satsuma Mandarin trees produce wonderfully sweet, small oranges. Easy to peel, seedless and so tasty—what’s not to love? The foliage is delightfully full and makes a great conversation piece in a container.
Trovita Orange trees are low maintenance and grow beautifully in containers. Add them to your Victory Garden for a tasty dose of Vitamin C. Juice the fruit, or eat them fresh. You’ll enjoy fruit for a long period of time with this special Orange tree variety.
Calamondin Orange trees give you a zippy surprise. The fruit looks and smell likes oranges. But they taste like limes!
These wild trees would be an awesome gift for a prankster to use in cocktails and cooking. Calamondin bloom a long time, and can flower and fruit at the same time.
Variegated Calamondin is a special choice. These petite oranges also have a sour taste that is used in Thai cooking.
Replace lemons and limes with calamondins! The variegated leaves are so pretty, you will love growing this compact choice.
Best Varieties for Growing Kumquats in Pots
This productive tree gives you a good value. You’ll give thanks for your huge harvest around Thanksgiving time.
Nagami Kumquat trees are called “lucky” in several Asian cultures. The small fruit is eaten as a whole, including the skin. The sweet rind and spicy pulp mix in your mouth for an incredible flavor.
Use the colorful rind in salads! These trees are easy to grow, with versatile fruit that is extremely easy to love.
Best Variety for Growing Grapefruit in Pots
Oro Blanco Grapefruit are a natural cross between thick-skinned Pummelo tree and a white Grapefruit tree. It is ideal for container culture, and is a great producer of sweet, fragrant fruit.
Yes, we said “sweet.” With its Pummelo parent, Oro Blanco is kid-friendly, without the acidity of a regular grapefruit. No need to add sugar!
Other Hot Fruiting Trees that Can Be Successfully Grown in Pots
Sweet Pomegranate fruit won’t make your mouth pucker! Its low acidity makes for a mellow, sweet flavor that will make you smile. The health benefits are outstanding.
The compact trees are great for growing in containers, too. Grow your own to save your money and enjoy incredible, tasty fruit. You will love the showy red flowers, too.
Dwarf Cavendish Banana trees are just plain fun. Once established, these compact cuties are good producers of sweet fruit. Use for fresh eating or baking. Even the long, tropical leaves are cool!
Arbequina Olive trees are a wonderful addition to your backyard orchard or balcony garden. They will grow very well in containers and produce high-quality olives.
Top your pizza, garnish your martini, or mill into oil with these exceptional small fruits. Use them when green, or allow them to transition into a black olive on your tree before harvest.
Don’t Forget to Grow Culinary Spice Trees in Pots
Kaffir Lime foliage is beloved for seasoning throughout Southeast Asia. The leaves are first chopped to release essential oil, then added to dishes. You can also eat the zested rind of the funky, bumpy fruit. Grow your own for the freshest possible ingredients in your stir-fries.
Bay Laurel leaves are used in Italian dishes, and to add incredible flavor to hearty stews. Grow your own beautiful tree to have fresh leaves at your fingertips. These make cunning gifts for the gourmet foodies in your life.
Live life to the fullest. Grow a Bay Laurel tree in a container and maximize the flavor of your homemade tomato sauce with a fresh leaf or two.
Getting a Citrus Tree to Bear Fruit Faster
For the fastest fruit, select high quality grafted Citrus trees for healthy, great-tasting harvests.
Sure, you can plant a seed from that delicious orange you just enjoyed. But chances are good that the results will not taste the same, and you will have waited for years to be disappointed.
Commercial Citrus trees are almost always grafted. We graft our trees to superior rootstock to gain disease resistance and improve the overall production of the tree.
Grafting is an ancient technique to help get the healthiest harvests. Don’t worry! It’s not GMO, or anything like that.
Our growers select a special section (or “scion”) of the desirable fruit tree. Next, we carefully insert it into a sturdy, healthy rootstock and expertly bind them together. The two pieces grow together as a single tree!
Look closely when you get your new tree, and you’ll see the graft union. It looks like a little bump on the trunk.
Do not plant your Citrus plant any deeper than it is growing in the pot. You want the graft union to be situated well above the soil line.
Buy Bigger Citrus Trees for Faster Harvest
Another good idea if you want to have a harvest faster is to purchase the largest container size we have in stock. Some of these plants are extraordinarily popular. We sell out of crops on a regular basis.
If all we have in stock is the smaller size, jump on it! Simply baby your young Citrus tree into a productive specimen over the course of a year or two.
Bottom line, if your preferred Citrus tree is in stock on our website, buy it without delay. When you have an option, buy bigger plants for faster fruit.
Ready to learn more? Read our #ProPlantTip blog about Caring for Citrus Trees in Pots here. You will learn what kind of container to use, and get a warning about ceramic and terra cotta pots. Find out which potting soil to use and how often to apply organic fertilizer.
You will also get tips for growing Citrus indoors, and when you should use grow lights. Don't miss the one thing you should never do when growing Citrus inside!
Augment the food supply chain by starting a Victory Garden. Growing Citrus trees in containers is so rewarding. How proud you'll be of your harvest.
