Citrus Plants

On the citrus plants grow oranges, lemons, limes, tangerines, grapefruit. These are the citrus fruits. The citrus plants form a genus within the plant kingdom. The fruits are a special form of berry.

The citrus plants are originally from the southeast of Asia. There in the tropics or subtropics it is hot. They grow as trees or large shrubs and reach a maximum height of 25 meters. They retain their leaves throughout the year.

Some citrus plants bloom only during a certain season, others also spread throughout the year. The flowers are either purely male or male and female mixed. The pollination is done by insects. If a flower is not pollinated, there is still a fruit. Such fruits do not carry seeds. That is why they are popular with many people.

People brought citrus plants from Asia to the West. About 2300 years ago they existed in Persia, a little later in the Roman Empire. Even today they grow in the warm areas around the Mediterranean. From there, many people know them from their vacations. However, they still exist in many other areas of the world where it is warm enough. Usually citrus plants grow not too far from the coast. The leaves of their trees are usually very thick. So they are better protected from the heat.