5 Common Types of Citrus Trees You Need to Grow

Picture this: You walk out to your backyard and pick a fresh Meyer lemon for your morning tea. Or grab a sweet blood orange right off the tree for your kids' lunch. This isn't just a dream. It's what thousands of home gardeners are doing right now.

But here's what most people don't know: choosing the right citrus variety makes the difference between a thriving tree that produces fruit for decades and a struggling plant that dies within two years.

After growing over 250,000 citrus trees at our South Texas nursery, we've learned which varieties consistently succeed for home growers. These five types of citrus trees offer the perfect combination of easy care, reliable fruiting, and incredible flavor.

Key Takeaways

• Meyer lemons are the most beginner-friendly citrus trees and can grow indoors
• Blood oranges provide unique deep red fruit with sweet, berry-like flavors
• Mexican limes (Key limes) are essential for authentic cooking and cocktails
• Grapefruit varieties like Rio Red offer large, juicy fruit perfect for breakfast
• Mandarin trees produce easy-to-peel fruit that kids love

Let me walk you through the five best citrus varieties for home growing, plus what makes each one special.

What Makes These the Best Citrus Trees for Home Growing?

These five citrus varieties consistently perform well for home gardeners because they share three key traits: they're naturally compact (perfect for containers or small spaces), they fruit reliably in various climates, and they're naturally more resistant to common citrus problems.

Each variety also offers something unique. Whether you want the sweetest fruit, the most fragrant blooms, or the easiest care, one of these trees will be perfect for your goals.

1. Meyer Lemon: The Perfect Beginner's Citrus Tree

Why Meyer lemons top our list: This hybrid between a lemon and mandarin orange is naturally sweeter than regular lemons and incredibly forgiving for new growers.

Meyer lemon trees stay compact (6-10 feet outdoors, 4-6 feet in containers) and can even grow indoors with enough light. The thin, edible skin makes these lemons perfect for cooking, baking, and making fresh lemonade.

The improved Meyer lemon variety we grow is virus-free, unlike the original Meyers that carried citrus viruses. This means your tree will stay healthy and productive for years.

What makes Meyers special:

• Sweet, floral flavor (less acidic than regular lemons)
• Fragrant white blooms that smell amazing
• Thin, edible yellow skin
• Fruits year-round in warm climates
• Naturally compact size
• Can grow indoors with proper care

Shop Meyer Lemon Trees →

2. Blood Orange: Stunning Fruit with Incredible Flavor

Why blood oranges are worth growing: These oranges contain natural anthocyanins that create deep red flesh with a unique berry-like sweetness you can't find in stores.

Blood orange trees grow 15-25 feet outdoors but stay much smaller in containers. The spring blooms are incredibly fragrant and attract butterflies to your garden. Once the fruit develops, the branches naturally bend lower, making harvesting easy.

The Tarocco blood orange variety we recommend produces some of the sweetest, most flavorful citrus you'll ever taste. The deep red interior makes these oranges perfect for fresh eating, juicing, or impressive garnishes.

Blood orange highlights:

• Deep red interior with sweet, complex flavor
• Incredibly fragrant spring blooms
• Medium-sized tree (perfect for most yards)
• Attracts beneficial insects and butterflies
• Unique fruit you can't buy in most stores
• Branches bend for easy harvesting

Shop Blood Orange Trees →

3. Mexican Lime (Key Lime): Essential for Authentic Cooking

Why Key limes beat Persian limes: These small, intensely flavored limes are what real Key lime pie is made from. You simply cannot get this authentic flavor from store-bought Persian limes.

Mexican lime trees grow as compact, shrub-like plants covered in small, fragrant white blooms. The leaves release an amazing citrus scent when you brush against them. These limes ripen in fall and winter when other citrus might be out of season.

The small size and intense flavor mean a little goes a long way. One tree produces enough limes for cocktails, cooking, and fresh lime juice all season long.

Key lime advantages:

• Authentic flavor for Key lime pie and mojitos
• Compact, shrub-like growth habit
• Fragrant leaves and blooms
• Winter harvest season
• Small fruit with intense flavor
• Essential for authentic Mexican and Caribbean cooking

Shop Mexican Lime Trees →

4. Rio Red Grapefruit: The Sweetest Breakfast Citrus

Why Rio Red beats other grapefruits: This Texas-developed variety produces large, sweet, ruby-red fruit with minimal bitterness. Perfect for fresh eating or morning juice.

Rio Red grapefruit trees grow large (20-30 feet) but can be kept smaller with pruning. The fruit is ready to pick in winter and spring, providing fresh citrus when many other fruits are out of season.

These grapefruits are naturally high in vitamin C, fiber, and potassium. The beautiful red flesh makes them perfect for fruit salads and impressive breakfast presentations.

Rio Red benefits:

• Large, sweet fruit with minimal bitterness
• Beautiful ruby-red flesh
• Winter and spring harvest
• High in vitamin C and nutrients
• Texas-developed for heat tolerance
• Perfect for fresh eating and juicing

Shop Rio Red Grapefruit Trees →

5. Mandarin Varieties: Easy-Peeling Family Favorites

Why mandarins are perfect for families: These sweet, easy-to-peel citrus fruits are naturally loved by kids and adults. No bitter pith, no seeds in many varieties, just pure sweet citrus flavor.

Mandarin trees come in several excellent varieties:

• Kishu Mandarin: Tiny, seedless fruit perfect for snacking
• Satsuma Mandarin: Cold-hardy variety that ripens early
• Clementine: Sweet, seedless, and easy to peel

Most mandarin trees stay compact (8-12 feet) and are naturally productive. The fruit often holds on the tree for months after ripening, giving you a long harvest window.

Mandarin advantages:

• Sweet, mild flavor appeals to everyone
• Easy to peel (perfect for kids)
• Many seedless varieties available
• Compact tree size
• Long harvest window
• Naturally productive

Shop Mandarin Trees →

Which Citrus Tree Should You Choose First?

If you're new to growing citrus, start with a Meyer lemon. They're the most forgiving, produce fruit quickly, and can even grow indoors if needed.

For families with kids, mandarins are perfect. The sweet, easy-to-peel fruit makes healthy snacking simple.

If you love cooking, Mexican limes open up a world of authentic flavors you can't get from store-bought limes.

Success Starts With the Right Foundation

Here's what we've learned from growing hundreds of thousands of citrus trees: the variety you choose matters, but how you plant and care for your tree matters more.

Every citrus tree we ship comes with our complete 20-page care guide based on Dr. Mani Skaria's 40+ years of citrus research. This guide covers everything from soil preparation to harvesting your first fruit.

The key to citrus success is understanding the Three Plant Pillars that every thriving citrus tree needs:

1. Mineral-based soil that never decomposes and provides constant oxygen to roots
2. Live beneficial microbes that protect roots and unlock nutrients
3. Complete organic fertilizer that feeds your tree without salt damage

When all three pillars are in place, your citrus tree becomes nearly bulletproof. Miss any one, and you'll struggle with yellowing leaves, root rot, and poor fruit production.

Ready to Start Growing Your Own Fresh Citrus?

These five citrus varieties represent the best options for home growers. Each offers something special, whether it's the beginner-friendly Meyer lemon or the gourmet appeal of blood oranges.

Remember: the right variety planted in the right conditions will provide fresh, homegrown citrus for decades. Choose based on your taste preferences, space available, and growing goals.

Browse our complete citrus collection → to find the perfect tree for your home garden.