Lemonade Tree (forum)

Lerene starts with ...
I am hoping you can clear up some confusion for me. I bought a lemonacde tree a couple of years ago with a tag that looks the same as the one shown on your website that stated it was a cross between a grapefruit and a lemon. I have since researched the internet and most sites claim it is a cross between a mandarine and lemon and I have just seen on your website today stating it is a cross between a meyer lemon and a lemon. Are you able to clarify if it si possible to have different crossses or is it because no-one really knows the origins and are labelling it by the taste

Time: 26th November 2012 7:32pm

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About the Author Lerene
Melbourne
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Mike says...
Lerene the origins seem a bit hazy but I doubt there is any mandarin or grapefruit in there.They are close to meyer and may be a sweet form of it.One nursery had a bit to do with distributing it
http://www.engalls.com.au/Citrus/Lemons/tabid/56/Default.aspx

Time: 26th November 2012 9:30pm

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Cairns
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Brain says...
I too would love to know the history of the lemonade. According to Malcolm Campbell, the lemonade is called the Brisbane Lemon and came from the south Pacific islands. Regardless, NZ also has lemonade budwood, which according to the USA researchers, the lemonade is a lime x citron.

http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/acc/display.pl?1727827

In the early 80s, when the lemonade came about, there certainly wasn't many DNA machines around, so the crosses would either be based on history, appearance or taste.

As no one seems to know the origin of the tree, so taste would have been a major factor.

I'm going to weight in and speculate that given both Nz and Aus has the lemonade tree around the 80s, so chances are that it must have been imported from a common source. I'm going to also speculate that the Australian version would also have been a seedling plant grown in Brisbane before it's eventual distribution across Aussie backyards. If anyone else have a more credible info, as opposed to my wild guesses, please share. :)



Time: 26th November 2012 10:14pm

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Original Post was last edited: 26th November 2012 10:33pm

About the Author Brain
Brisbane
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Mike says...
I doubt DNA profiling would shed much light on as they are really all one species in that citrus group with tiny variations really.Lemons basically have citron and lime parentages.Throw in a little mandarin and you have an orannge.Grapefruit is probably a pomelo x sour orange but who knows?

Time: 26th November 2012 10:39pm

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Cairns
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Lerene says...
Thanks for your insights I am still waiting for it to fruit - thanks to some over zealous tenants where I lived who decided to prune the tree on two occasions without me knowing, just when it was flowering. Fingers crossed it has just finished flowering for the first time this year so hopefully fruit will follow.

Time: 28th November 2012 7:46pm

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About the Author Lerene
Melbourne
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Brain says...
the lemonade seems to fruit easily, so you should have no problems. Though I would recommend watching for too much fruit, as the weight might split the branches. I had that issue and now the tree is full of stick supports propping it up.

Time: 29th November 2012 11:47pm

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About the Author Brain
Brisbane
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