The lemon with the rosy heart

There is a new lemon on the market, and it’s making waves. 

It’s been named ‘Lemon Rosy’, and it comes with variegated fruit and foliage – something you don’t often see in a citrus tree. It’s a natural mutation of the ‘Eureka’ lemon we all know and love. This interesting lemon is a little less vigorous than the common ‘Eureka’ lemon, making it an excellent container specimen and the variegated foliage and fuchsia-coloured flower buds make it a pretty plant to grow. 

The fruit is where the excitement is. The green and cream striped fruit turns yellow, and the stripes fade as the fruit ripens and when you cut it open it reveals a light pink flesh. ‘Lemon Rosy’ is less acidic than the normal ‘Eureka’ and has fewer pips which is very useful in the kitchen. 

How to grow

There are some important things to remember when growing ‘Lemon Rosy’. This is what they need: 

• Find a position that has full sun for most of the day. This is especially important for colder gardens. This citrus can tolerate some light frost, but will need to be protected in heavy frost or kept in a container that can be moved indoors.  

• Make sure the soil is well draining. They prefer loam or sandy soils. Avoid planting in clay soils, as they do not like to sit in water. Include compost in the soil when planting. If planting in a container, use a product like citrus mix. Bark Unlimited has a Citrus Mix that includes pine bark for good drainage, and it has organic fertiliser included for a nutrient boost. Make sure the pot has enough drainage holes.  

• Water only when the soil is dry, but increase watering during the fruiting season, which for this variety is late winter to early spring. 

How does the pink lemon get its colour?

High concentrations of the antioxidant lycopene is the reason pink lemon is pink. Lycopene is also why ruby grapefruit is pink, and watermelons and tomatoes are red. It has excellent health properties that help reduce the effects of environmental toxins. 

• Feed every month from August to April with a fertiliser high in nitrogen and potassium and one that includes calcium for fruit growth. Use a NPK of 3.1.5 or 8.1.5 for the best results. Citrus Mix can also be used as a mulch around the base of trees to slowly release nutrients into the soil. 

• These trees don’t require pruning but for shaping and removing any growth below the bud union. Remove any dead branches. 

• If you have an issue with the common pest citrus psylla, treat immediately before the problem becomes a major issue. There are organic and chemical pesticides available for the treatment of this pest, however please read all instructions carefully as some of these solutions may have an effect on the natural predators like beneficial insects, birds and spiders. 

‘Lemon Rosy’ is grown by Heuers Wholesale Nursery and is available at selected garden centres. Not available in any of the Cape regions or the Free state.