Yuzu Trees (Citrus junos)
Tree Surgeon and Gardening Tips from Eastbourne, East Sussex.
Yuzu, a fruit that tastes like a cross between a grapefruit, clementine and lime. These little fruits are about the size of a clementine and have very oil rich and strong smelling peels. They originated in East Asia, specifically China and only recently have been making their way into western markets. You might have seen them in supermarkets in sauces and syrups but if you are a fan of Eastern Asian food then there is a possibility that you saw them in a restaurant too. These fragrant fruits are not one to be eaten raw however, like you would with an orange as the fruit can be incredibly sour. Think of it more like a lime where you want to use the zest for culinary purposes.
If you are lucky enough to get your hands on a whole yuzu then you might be able to use the many seeds inside and grow your own fruit. Note that many fruits taken from trees grown in Spain are from grafted trees and so the seeds are not able to germinate. These trees are hardy and are able to tolerate many colder climates making them the perfect trees to grow in the UK where we can face a variety of different climates. They do not like frost and this can kill the trees, however, they can survive in cold temperatures and when they are mature can spend the whole year outside. We do recommend growing them in a large greenhouse (if you have the space) and if not try and grow them in a sheltered but sunny spot in the garden. They are also autumn fruiting trees, starting in October and producing fruit until late December. Therefore these small Cirtus trees provide valuable vitamin C to fight off those winter colds. It is also best to grow these trees in ceramic pots for the first couple of years that you can move from inside to outside, protecting the young trees from frost and dramatic temperature fluctuations. Yuzu are slow growing trees so don’t expect fruit for at-least 10 years, however when they do come you will be swimming in lush, beautiful smelling fruit. Tips on growing citrus trees can be found on our blog post here and if you would like us to come round and give a gardening quote then please contact us here.
