Yen Ben Lemon –Citrus (Grafted)

New Zealand’s favourite true lemon: thin-skinned, super juicy and nearly seedless.

Yen Ben is an improved Lisbon-type lemon and the go-to variety for both home gardens and commercial growers in New Zealand. It produces large, oval, bright yellow lemons with smooth, thin skin, lots of juice and very few seeds. The flavour is a classic sharp, tangy lemon, perfect for juicing, cooking, baking, preserves, lemon curd and drinks.

Yen Ben is one of the hardiest lemon varieties, with a compact, upright habit and tolerance of coastal conditions. This tree is grafted onto disease-resistant rootstock for strong, healthy growth and earlier cropping. It’s supplied at a well-established height of approximately 80–90 cm, ready to plant out.

Features

• Large, very juicy lemons with smooth, thin skin
• Very few seeds
• True tart lemon flavour, ideal for the kitchen
• Main crop in winter, with extra fruit through the year
• One of the hardiest lemons; copes with coastal conditions
• Self-fertile, so one tree is enough for fruit
• Fragrant white blossom and glossy evergreen foliage
• Compact, upright habit
• Grafted for vigour and disease resistance

Size: Supplied at approx. 80–90 cm tall. Grows to around 3 m high × 3 m wide in the garden and can be pruned to keep it compact. It’s also suited to a large container.

Growing tips: Plant in full sun in free-draining soil. Water regularly, especially in dry spells and while fruit is forming. Feed with a citrus fertiliser in spring and late summer. Prune lightly after harvest to shape the tree and keep it productive.