The wonderful fragrance and luxury of citrus in bloom may be exactly what 2021 ordered. When you think of the cool environment of the Pacific Northwest, you don’t necessarily think of it as a place to grow citrus. What may come to mind instead is the sunny terrain of southern California or Florida, where it gets hot, and citrus drips from tree branches like raindrops drip from our evergreens. Well, move over sunshine states, and make room for citrus that can grow in USDA zones 7 & 8 (where temperatures reach as low as 0-10 F). Growing citrus does require a few indoor conditions once summer ends, including protection from the cold during the months of November through March. Place the watered citrus plant in a sunny south-facing window atop pebbles in a water-filled saucer for humidity and a good start.
Trying to grow something new may take some trial and error but the payoff of diversifying edibles from summer apples, pears, peaches, berries, and cherries to semi-hardy varieties of winter lemons, limes, and oranges are worth the effort. Now in the Front Greenhouse are Meyer Lemon, Satsuma, and Mandarin oranges as well as their hybrids Kumquat and Yuzu. Enjoy the citrus zest of the Pacific Northwest.