There isn't much information about cucuzza growing, but there is even less about citron propagation. There are plenty of pictures, and even some videos, but not much about planting information and characteristics of the etrog (citron) tree itself. It just so happens that I have an etrog tree in the backyard of my familial house, and am well-placed to provide some details.
But first, some relevant background on the etrog. We can leave general information to the Wikipedia entry. The fruit, when sold with the ritual leaves used for the festival of Sukkot, comprises a majority of the cost of the total set, which goes for $50-$60. Most of the world's production comes from Northern African countries and Israel. There are many requirements for the fruit to be kosher for use: it has to be free of blemishes, have a pitom (blossom end) still attached (as applicable), and must not have cross-bred with other citruses, among other things.
This brings us to its cultivation, in this case in Houston, Texas, in a humid subtropical climate. Humidity is high and rainfall abundant, with basically no winter and very hot summers. As the etrog hails from dryer environments (Israel, Greece, Italy, Spain, Yemen), this can be a challenge.
I received this etrog tree as a nine-inch seedling ten to twelve years ago, started from seed of a holiday fruit by the parent of a close friend. It was kept in a pot for three to four years, and the rootball was trimmed back once or twice to keep it manageable. This did have the effect of stunting the plant. About five years ago it was repotted twice into soil mediums that were not a good fit for it. It spent one summer in a non-water retentive potting mix and dropped many leaves.
One neighbor who had successfully grown etrogs in his backyard recommended to fill the bottom of the planting hole with sand, perhaps to mimic the natural environment of the etrog. I did this and also added some well-rotted leaf matter. The shrub rapidly became a tree, especially when watered copiously in dry periods. Last year it flowered and fruited unnoticeably, such that we did not see the fruit until they were quite large and nearly ripe, and used one for Sukkot. This year's flowering produced between 12 and 20 fruit, a number which can't be pinpointed because it's so hard to distinguish the fruit from the leaves.
Now for cultivation tidbits (details?):
Large thorns are produced along all the stems. These are one to two inches long and don't fall off, making staking or pruning the tree a painful affair. They make very deep splinters, so wear thick gloves.
My tree has unfortunately produced two thick suckers from the base that by now make up more than half of the total size and volume, which grow straight up and barely produce fruit. They can be seen on the left and right of the main trunk above. All of the fruit were produced on the main trunk, off to the right.
Leaf drop and yellowing often occurs in the summer and especially in the winter. Late this winter the tree looked like it was in real danger, but once spring came new leaves and branches grew in to replace everything that had dropped.
Flowering occurs in early spring, and is beautiful - clusters of pink and white blossoms:
If the fruits set, then soon you'll be faced with trying to figure out where the fruit is (spot the fruits - there are at least three in each picture):
Not all the fruits are perfect. Some will be misshapen, while others may form too close to the ground for comfort, and others will simply shrivel and fall off (I see you, pesky white bugs and junk!). The fruit will turn yellow when ripe. Some literature says that the fruit can remain on trees for up to two years, slowly growing larger the whole time. We use the extras for vodka.
Above is a picture of a basil plant staked with a branch from the tree. Unexpectedly, the branch took root and formed leaves, implying that making cuttings of the citron is surprisingly easy. So now we have another tree. Another stake for a second basil plant also took root, if a bit slower.
The etrog is full of surprises, and it's a great pleasure to watch it flower. Just remember to water it during dry spells!
But first, some relevant background on the etrog. We can leave general information to the Wikipedia entry. The fruit, when sold with the ritual leaves used for the festival of Sukkot, comprises a majority of the cost of the total set, which goes for $50-$60. Most of the world's production comes from Northern African countries and Israel. There are many requirements for the fruit to be kosher for use: it has to be free of blemishes, have a pitom (blossom end) still attached (as applicable), and must not have cross-bred with other citruses, among other things.
This brings us to its cultivation, in this case in Houston, Texas, in a humid subtropical climate. Humidity is high and rainfall abundant, with basically no winter and very hot summers. As the etrog hails from dryer environments (Israel, Greece, Italy, Spain, Yemen), this can be a challenge.
I received this etrog tree as a nine-inch seedling ten to twelve years ago, started from seed of a holiday fruit by the parent of a close friend. It was kept in a pot for three to four years, and the rootball was trimmed back once or twice to keep it manageable. This did have the effect of stunting the plant. About five years ago it was repotted twice into soil mediums that were not a good fit for it. It spent one summer in a non-water retentive potting mix and dropped many leaves.
One neighbor who had successfully grown etrogs in his backyard recommended to fill the bottom of the planting hole with sand, perhaps to mimic the natural environment of the etrog. I did this and also added some well-rotted leaf matter. The shrub rapidly became a tree, especially when watered copiously in dry periods. Last year it flowered and fruited unnoticeably, such that we did not see the fruit until they were quite large and nearly ripe, and used one for Sukkot. This year's flowering produced between 12 and 20 fruit, a number which can't be pinpointed because it's so hard to distinguish the fruit from the leaves.
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| Current Look (had to prune left side because branches were chafing) |
Now for cultivation tidbits (details?):
Large thorns are produced along all the stems. These are one to two inches long and don't fall off, making staking or pruning the tree a painful affair. They make very deep splinters, so wear thick gloves.
My tree has unfortunately produced two thick suckers from the base that by now make up more than half of the total size and volume, which grow straight up and barely produce fruit. They can be seen on the left and right of the main trunk above. All of the fruit were produced on the main trunk, off to the right.
Leaf drop and yellowing often occurs in the summer and especially in the winter. Late this winter the tree looked like it was in real danger, but once spring came new leaves and branches grew in to replace everything that had dropped.
Flowering occurs in early spring, and is beautiful - clusters of pink and white blossoms:
If the fruits set, then soon you'll be faced with trying to figure out where the fruit is (spot the fruits - there are at least three in each picture):
Above is a picture of a basil plant staked with a branch from the tree. Unexpectedly, the branch took root and formed leaves, implying that making cuttings of the citron is surprisingly easy. So now we have another tree. Another stake for a second basil plant also took root, if a bit slower.
The etrog is full of surprises, and it's a great pleasure to watch it flower. Just remember to water it during dry spells!
