Karen Czajkowski

I have an unusual citrus tree in East Texas, zone 8A in a rainforest. Neither ice nor snow harm it in any way.  It does well in 115°+ to -17°F, produces fruit every year & self seeds. It is a Trifoliate species, classic 3 leaflets & white highly fragrant flowers. The fruit begins green & appear like perfectly spherical limes. By mid summer they turn yellow & become fuzzy like a peach. The fruit is not yet ripe. Late summer & into fall, the fruit loses most or all of the fuzz & gets splotches of brown over the yellow rind. The thorns can be 8- 12" long but most are smaller. They taste just like lemons but are strange. We have used them in iced tea & as lemonade & they are wonderful. There was a neighbor many decades ago who traveled world wide collecting plants & seeds & maybe she brought these from an Asian country. We were told they were Mock Oranges when we moved there 50 years ago, but they do not match that description nor any other that I know of. As a side note, our home there was built in 1834 & is currently 190 years old & we have hundreds if not thousands of these plants mostly along an intermittent creek or in the nearby woods. They are perfectly fine growing in complete shade but do well in any light.
As a teenager many decades ago, I wanted to lighten my hair. I juiced a dozen or more of these & put it on my hair. It instantly turned into a tar like substance that quickly & fortunately washed right out with shampoo.
If I graft improved Meyers lemons or some limes onto these shrubs, will it help them to become more cold hardy?

A. M. Watters wrote:Sorry, it's in my side bar, but I should have been more clear. I'm in central Texas, USA zone 8b.

I'm near Nacogdoches 8A/B cusp. I have 10 Meyers lemons, 3 limes, 1 is Persian. A lovely 5' tall Loquat , Tamarind & 2 Olives. Numerous seedlings as well.
I grow them all in 10-20 gallon tubs. I've had the lemons & limes 1 year & harvested over 75 lemons & 5 limes. Also, I got the lemons from Lowe's for $7 each. The limes came from home depot.
I'll make a trip to Houston soon for kumquats & others. These are in a greenhouse in winter. Afternoon shade in summer. I keep the pots on metal & plastic racks an inch above ground since I have a rubberized semi-truck tarp for the floor & 2 walls. I dont want them standing in water. It was 110°+ for 65 days the past 2 summers here along with a droughts for 2 1/2 months. This is the temperate rainforest area of Texas.

A. M. Watters wrote:Sorry, it's in my side bar, but I should have been more clear. I'm in central Texas, USA zone 8b.

I'm near Nacogdoches 8A/B cusp. I have 10 Meyers lemons, 3 limes, 1 is Persian. A lovely 5' tall Loquat , Tamarind & 2 Olives. Numerous seedlings as well.
I grow them all in 10-20 gallon tubs. I've had the lemons & limes 1 year & harvested over 75 lemons & 5 limes. Also, I got the lemons from Lowe's for $7 each. The limes came from home depot.
I'll make a trip to Houston soon for kumquats & others. These are in a greenhouse in winter. Afternoon shade in summer. I keep the pots on metal & plastic racks an inch above ground since I have a rubberized semi-truck tarp for the floor & 2 walls. I dont want them standing in water. It was 110°+ for 65 days the past 2 summers here along with a droughts for 2 1/2 months. This is the temperate rainforest area of Texas.