They are cold-hardy from the lower 20s to the mid-teens once they are well-established. But the green bark on their trunks and branches and their shallow roots needs to be protected from sunburn in summer and freeze in winter for the first one to two years after planting.

22 citrus cultivars

Representing the grapefruits are Bloomsweet, Cocktail and Rio Red.

• Grapefruit

Bloomsweet grows in clusters similar to grapes and has a thin skin that is easy to peel and easily segmented pulp. The white flesh is very juicy with a sweet, mild taste without the acidity of most grapefruit.

Cocktail, a cross between a mandarin and pummelo, is sweet and juicy but is very seedy. With its orangey-grapefruit flavor, Cocktail grapefruit are very good for juicing and making beverages, jams and frozen desserts.

Rio Red lives up to its name with a deep red flesh that is juicy with few seeds. The rind of Rio Red is smooth, thin and yellow taking on a red blush at maturity.

• Lemons

Frost Eureka, Improved Meyer and Variegated Pink Eureka lemons will be available for purchase. Frost Eureka is a medium-sized yellow fruit when it matures. The green-yellow flesh is very acidic. It fruits most of the year being most productive during winter, spring and early summer.

Improved Meyer, a hybrid between a lemon and an orange, first matures in October. It has a tart taste that gets sweeter as it matures into January.

Variegated Pink Eureka, sometimes called the pink lemonade tree, has very acidic, light-pink flesh with a low seed count when it is mature. With mottled green and white leaves; the fruit itself is green- and cream-striped. It changes to all yellow when fully ripe. Under good conditions, the tree can have ripened fruit almost year round.

• Limes

The limes available will be Kaffir, Persian and Key (thornless Mexican) lime. Like most citrus, the Kaffir can be cold-sensitive until it is well established. Being grown as a container plant allows it to be moved inside in colder weather.

The tree needs well-drained acidic soil because wet feet can cause root rot and death to the tree. It has an aromatic peel and double-lobed leaves that are used in Asian cooking. The leaves can be used fresh or dried or frozen for future use.

The Persian is the lime most often seen in grocery stores.

It is self-pollinating and can be harvested when the fruit gets to be about 1 3/4 inches; smaller fruit lacks sufficient juice.

The Key is actually a Mexican variety lime that is (nearly) thornless – good when harvesting the fruit.

The matured fruit is small and green or yellow-green, which turns full yellow when completely ripe, resembling a lemon.

Unusual trees

The most unusual trees are the Australian Finger lime and Buddha’s Hand.

• Australian Finger lime

The Australian lime is a microcitrus rather than a lemon or lime. It comes in a variety of colors and the seed pearls of tangy juice are also varied.

The pearls of lime-flavored juice constitute the pulp or flesh of the fruit and are sometimes called citrus caviar as they resemble fish roe. The fruit is much sought after by chefs, being used in foods and as garnishes. These trees are understory plants needing to be grown in shaded areas.

• Buddha’s Hand

The Buddha’s Hand is a citron resembling a closed hand with the fingers pointing down. As it matures, the finger segments begin to spread and move outward. There is no juice or pulp to the fruit; it has mostly a deeply lemony flavored pith with a thin core and the thick yellow rind. It can be used for making candied fruit and in any baking/cooking that calls for lemon zest.

Imagine the joy of walking outside to your patio or yard and picking your home-grown, naturally tree-ripened fruit from your very own trees.

Next week’s article will highlight other trees that will be offered for sale.