Lemon Hybrids

There is a hybrid, C. × limetta, of which various cultivars exist with common names such as limetta and sweet lemon. These non-acid lemons are grown on a small scale mainly in India and around the Mediterranean.

The Meyer lemon, first imported into the USA from China by F. N. Meyer, in 1980, is described by Saunt (1990) as ‘probably a hybrid between the lemon and either an orange or a mandarin’. It has less acidity than true lemons, and indeed resembles a small orange more than a lemon. It provides excellent juice and is growing in popularity.