Flowering in the lemon tree

Although they can appear all year round, the greatest concentration of flowers on the lemon tree generally occurs during April and May.

Figure: biological cycle of the lemon tree

Note: the biological cycle of the lemon tree is continuous and different cycles run at the same time. This is an example for a cycle whose bud burst starts in January.

Structure of the flower

• These flowers are generally white and may have pinkish tones.
• Their size varies. They can appear singly or grouped in small clusters in the leaf axils.
• The flowers consist of a calyx made up of five sepals as a base, on which five petals sit.
• Lemon flowers are hermaphrodite, that is, they carry the female (ovaries) and male (stamens) sexual organs in the same flower.

Pollination in the lemon tree

Pollination of these flowers can be cross-pollination, in which genetic material is exchanged between flowers or plants, or entomophilous, carried out by insects.

• Although citrus can self-pollinate, several studies show that using bees for pollination increases productivity, fruit quality (weight and juice content) and the number of seeds.
• Successful cross-pollination is an important evolutionary adaptation in plants, increasing the vigour of the species, allowing new combinations of hereditary factors and raising the production of fruit and seed.

Were you aware of the particularities of lemon tree flowering?

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