For The Love of Citrus: Best Citrus Trees to Grow in California

Known for its fertile soil and sunny, temperate climate, California is a perfect haven for citrus trees. Its diverse microclimates make it especially ideal for cultivating a variety of citrus fruits. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or a curious novice, growing citrus in California can be a fruitful, rewarding venture. Read on to discover some of the best citrus trees to plant in California, with factors like fruit quality, ease of maintenance, and adaptability taken into account.

Navel Orange

The Navel orange is best known for its juicy, sweet flavor, and is a staple in many orchards across the state. These golden powerhouses are also naturally seedless and pleasantly easy to peel.

Navel orange trees grow best in Mediterranean climates, where winters are only mildly chilly and fairly wet, while summers are fairly hot and dry. Southern California is particularly well-suited for growing navels. 

Maintenance-wise, navel orange trees are rather easy to care for. As another plus, these trees grow pretty large and are great natural sources of shade and visual appeal.

Meyer Lemon

Our personal favorite type of citrus, Meyer lemons are tastefully sweet compared to traditional lemons. Meyers are actually a cross between a lemon and mandarin orange, which gives them their characteristic sweet quality and lower overall acidity. 

The trees themselves are adaptable, meaning they can thrive in many different soil types. This makes them especially suitable for growing in various regions across the state.

Meyer lemon trees also provide a continuous supply of fruit year-round and are perfect for use in desserts and savory dishes and as a welcomed addition to tea with honey.

Unlike navel orange trees, Meyers stay somewhat small in size, making them ideal for container planting and backyard gardens.

Tahitian Lime

Tahitian limes are known for their seedless interior and juicy, tart flavor, and their flavor-packed rind is ideal for adding zest to cocktails and desserts.

Subtropical climates are where these trees truly shine, making Southern and Central California utra-optimal regions for them to grow. However, Northern California is also perfectly warm enough for these limes to thrive. 

Similar to navel orange trees, Tahitian lime trees grow to be fairly large in size. They require a consistent pruning routine to encourage fruit production as well as to maintain their shape. Similar to Meyer lemon trees, they fruit throughout the year, boasting abundant harvests year-round when cared for properly.

Kumquat

If you’re looking for a more compact tree for smaller yards or container planting, kumquat trees are a great option. This tree is favorable not only for its petite orange fruits, but for its richly green aesthetic foliage as well.

Kumquat trees are hardy is colder climates and can thrive in a variety of soil types, making them ideal for California growing. The return on investment of these trees is an added bonuses: they characteristically begin producing fruit early on in their lifecycle, usually within two or three years of planting.

With its favorable climate and diverse growing conditions, California offers an excellent opportunity for cultivating a wide range of citrus trees. Whether you prefer the zesty tang of Tahitian limes or the sweet juiciness of navel oranges, there's a citrus variety to suit every palate and garden space. By selecting the right citrus trees and providing them with proper care, you can enjoy a bountiful harvest of fresh, flavorful fruit right from your own backyard.

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