A gardening friend once said, “you can always tell the California transplants by the Citrus Tree they planted in their garden.” I think she was on to something.
Call me a transplant. Citrus makes a great border plant providing privacy AND interest.
These trees take pruning well.
Once established, these trees/shrubs require very little water. In fact, beware of yellow leaves and/or leaf drop indicating too much water!
Expect rodents. It took me YEARS to finally spot a rat. These rats are huge…the size of squirrels! They wait till the sun goes down, then scurry up the tree, have a seat in the crook of the trunk and pick away at the fruit. Leaving tiny chunks of peels scattered below and usually one or two half-peeled fruits lying on the ground to rot. They would drop and rot anyway…you can only use so many Lemons!
I’ve always wanted to see the look on a rat’s face when they get that first big squirt of Lemon juice. Rats must have a short memory because they keep coming back for more.
Rotten moldy fruit on the ground and rat droppings, these trees are still at the top of my list.
Another Citrus attraction is giant fuzzy black flying insects that might be bees. Growing up we always called them “good news bees”. Perhaps this is why they were always welcome in my garden.
My Citrus trees were situated steps away from my back porch door. I sort of enjoyed the buzzing of the bees. They do tend to buzz off when humans are in the vicinity.
Do you have a favorite hedge?
I’d love to hear about plants you have found that make great neighbors!
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