How to Germinate Lemon Seeds to Grow a Lemon Tree
When I first started gardening, I had no idea that some seeds like special treatment prior to planting compared to others! Lemon seeds and other citrus seem to be that way, at least from what I’ve seen. In my efforts to learn how to germinate lemon seeds to grow a lemon tree at home, I luckily found the best method that works quickly!
If you’ve already read my post on How to Grow a Clementine Tree from Seed, you can apply the same process here with planting lemon seeds!
And if you’ve found this post first, that’s great as growing lemon trees was my first foray into planting citrus seeds.
Let’s get started with a little information on lemons followed by my tips on how to germinate lemon seeds and grow a lemon tree!
Can you eat lemon seeds?
Believe it or not, yes, you can eat lemon seeds! Unlike apple seeds, cherry pits, and stone fruit pits, lemon seeds are not toxic or dangerous. Lemon seeds contain salicylic acid and have similar nutritional properties to the rest of the lemon. That being said, while you probably don’t want to munch lemon seeds like mixed nuts, it won’t hurt you if you accidentally swallow them!
What are some different types of lemon trees?
Most everyone knows the Meyer lemon tree, but quite a few different variants of the Citrus limon species exist. Lisbon lemons tend to be one of the most popular and commercially available lemons. Other types of lemon trees include pink variegated, Eureka, Bearss lemons, Primofiori, Verna, Avon, Greek Citron, and Ponderosa, to name just a few.
Also, I found this great lemon list on PlantSnap that describes what makes each of the different kinds of lemon trees special, useful, or unique.
Do lemon trees have thorns?
Yes, most true lemon trees have thorns. You may be able to find select varieties of thornless lemon trees, but the quality may not be the same. Generally, most of the best tasting lemon trees do have thorns. Use caution with kids and pets as lemon tree thorns are very sharp if touched.
If lemon tree thorns are problematic, you can take a small pair of scissors and snip the thorns while they are young and small to remove the point. I’ve done this with our seed-grown lemon trees and they are doing great!
How long does it take for lemon seeds to sprout?
Germinating lemon seeds can happen as quickly as a week or less, given the right conditions. You may see signs of germination in just five days. Once the lemon seeds sprout, they will grow roots, stems, and leaves as they develop into baby trees.
How long does it take to grow a lemon tree?
Several factors come into play when looking at the lemon tree growth rate. Outdoor lemon trees can grow up to 20 feet tall and may take 6 years to produce fruit. Growing lemon trees indoors changes the expected height as you may prune the tree to fit inside. The size of the container for a potted lemon tree also impacts how tall and how quickly the tree grows.
In the summer of 2021, our homegrown lemon tree at about 18 months old was almost as tall as our then- 5-year-old!
If well cared for, lemon trees can live for 50 years or more!
How to Germinate Lemon Seeds
Learning how to plant lemon seeds is easier than you might expect! The first few steps are a little time-consuming, but the rest of the process is a snap.
Materials
To do this project, you will need paper towels, water, zip-top baggies, a permanent marker like Sharpie, lemons, and possibly a knife and spray bottle.
DIY: How to Plant Lemon Seeds
Follow these steps to plant a lemon tree from seed.
Harvesting Lemon Seeds
- First, cut a lemon into wedges and pick out the seeds. Set aside or store the lemon wedges for cooking or making lemon water.
- Rinse and then soak the lemon seeds in a small container for about 15 minutes.
Germinating Lemon Seeds
- Use your thumbnail or a small knife to nick the seed coat and then remove it from the lemon seed.
- Fold a paper towel in half and lightly wet it with water. I use a spray bottle.
- Space the lemon seeds out so they aren’t touching. You can spray a little more water if you like. It should be damp but not dripping or pooling.
- Fold the paper towel down over the lemon seeds so they are fully covered.
- Carefully move the wrapped seeds into the zip-top bag.
- Use a permanent marker to label the type of seeds (lemon) and the date.
- Set the baggie somewhere warm and out of the way. I place mine on top of the microwave and around heating vents.
- After five days to a week, check to look for lemon seed sprouts. You may notice the root radicle coming out of the nut-like lemon seeds. If you see this, your lemon seeds have germinated!
Transplanting Sprouted Lemon Seeds into Pots
Once your seeds have sprouted, you can move them to small pots.
- Place a coffee filter or cut piece of one into the bottom of the pot. This helps to capture soil so it doesn’t drain out with the water.
- Fill the flower pot with potting soil. (My favorite potting soil to use indoors is ProMix, but I also like the citrus and palm soil by Miracle Gro!)
- Place the sprouted lemon seed or lemon tree seedling in the pot. Cover the seed completely or plant the baby tree with the trunk and leaves above the surface.
- Water thoroughly and place in a sunny window or under grow lights. Monitor for growth and changes.
This entire process shouldn’t actualy take you too long, but I wanted to make the steps as clear and easy to understand as possible. If you’re having any trouble or have any questions, just post a comment. I respond to each and every one!
Fun Idea for Germinating Lemon Seeds
Growing lemon trees from seed is so easy and fun that I often want to share this joy with others.
Kids would be great gardening buddies to help grow lemon trees from seed. You can also get a friend to join you in your lemon growing adventure.
Lemon trees are so much fun to grow, but the joy is also wonderful shared with others. Consider this fun idea for a special someone! (or yourself!)
Planting Lemon Seeds in a Mug
Imagine a lemon tree growing in a cute mug! My preference would be to find a lemon or citrus themed mug and then go about planting lemon seeds in the mug.
Make a few personalized gifts with lemon seeds growing in a mug for those you love. Grandmothers, aunts, and moms may especially love this fun garden related gift.
Also, planting lemon seeds in a cup would be a super cute teacher gift, if your teacher likes gardening. (We all know teachers have plenty of regular mugs already! But how many have a lemon tree…?)
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You’ve also got to love this fun mug flower pot! That checks off both boxes when planting lemon seeds in a mug.
Lemonade Dreams
Now that I know how to germinate lemon trees, I am addicted to growing citrus from seed! My young lemon trees are some of my favorite plants and wintertime houseplants. I just love them!
And, I can’t wait to see my clementine trees following along in this awesome path!
I’m so glad to document the journey from seed to – hopefully – fruit!
At the original publishing of this article, my homegrown lemon trees from seed are probably about 20 months old. Ahh, I have toddlers!
Now, if I can just keep them happy, maybe I will have some lemon blossoms next year or the following!
For years now, I’ve had visions of sipping lemonade on my deck while working on my blog with my pup chilling out nearby.
If all goes well with my baby lemon trees, hopefully I’ll be making fresh-squeezed lemonade with my own homegrown lemons!
Here’s a lemon tree growing in the Adirondacks of New York – it’s actually at a place called the Lemon Tree Brewery. I am sure they dig it up because it gets WAY colder there than it does here. But, isn’t it beautiful?!
(In the meantime, I buy store-bought lemons and make fruit-infused lemonades like this fresh blueberry lemonade! Although, I think my favorite is the strawberry lemonade and I just haven’t had time to write about that one yet.)
Updated Photos of Seed-Grown Lemon Trees
As of October 2022, here is my favorite lemon tree grown from seed. She’s gotten a lot bushier and taller since the earlier photos!
My favorite is our Border Collie sunning herself with my favorite baby tree that I grew from seed.
::heart eyes::
Do you have a lemon tree at home? Are you excited to try growing baby lemon trees or another citrus along with me?!
AND!!! If you’re lucky enough to have a flowering lemon tree, you might wanna check out our post on lemon tree pollination by hand, especially for those indoor citrus trees!
Let’s chat in the comments – it makes my day hearing from you guys!
Happy Gardening!
10.12.22 – Updated to add a link to new lemon tree pollination post. Changed bulleted list on the instructions to numbered steps and improved spacing. Added two updated photos.
11.03.22 – Added Google webstory – https://www.bunnysgarden.com/web-stories/planting-lemon-seeds/.
I planted a lemon seed about 5 months ago. I live in an assisted living. It is about 9 inches tall and looks healthy. Any advice for me.
Hi Thelma, thanks for stopping by! How wonderful for you that your lemon tree sapling is already about 9 inches tall! These truly are one of my favorites for indoor plants. I water when the soil looks dry and try to keep it near natural daylight when possible. I have added some spent coffee grounds here and there, mixing them into the soil. I haven’t pruned mine yet but will post an article on that when I get there. I’ll try to gather some more tips – mine started like yours and now my biggest lemon tree is 31 inches tall! It has grown numerous branches all on its own and puts out new leaves nicely. Wishing you lots of success!
My little lemon seeds have grown their little tails. I am wondering do I put the tails in the soil or the seed♀️ I can’t seem to find a straight answer to this question anywhere. Please help me
Hi Jody! Just seeing this now – thanks for your comment and question. So excited for you that your lemon seeds germinated! I’ve done it both ways – I’ve planted a whole germinated seed completely in soil and then watered it, or, if the green stem is also poking through, you can put that part above the soil and the root below. As an alternative, you can actually leave them in the baggie for a little longer and just spray a bit more water if you want to give it more time. Feel free to email me a picture if you still aren’t sure!
Best wishes with these little beauties!
Oh, bless you . I think I am going to leave them in the bag for a week longer and then see what happens. Thank you so very much for answering my question
Oh my pleasure, so happy to help! Would love for you to come back with an update when you have one. Best of luck and happy gardening!
Hi!!
I really want indoor plants. Fruits and veggies. I am starting my lemons in the paper towel tonight. Im excitied to see if they will grow. This blog was very helpful. Looking forward to chats and photos!
Hi Donna! Thanks for stopping by – I am with you! Indoor plants make a happy home. 🙂 I especially love growing small trees indoors – just wish we had a sunroom. 🙂 I hope your lemons germinate soon for you – hopefully within the week – let us know! So happy to hear the post was helpful to you. Definitely love to hear back from you and you can always feel free to send photos via email if you like to share. 🙂 Happy Gardening!
Hi Kate; I have done just as described and planted the seeds once germinated. However, this was probably 6 months ago and they are living but not thriving. They are only about 3 inches tall now! What am I doing wrong? I have them on a table under a skylight.
Hi Wendy,
Thanks so much for your comment – It’s great you’ve gotten them that far! I notice my citrus trees grow the best outdoors over the summer once it’s warm. If you are able to obtain some LED grow lights and place them directly above your baby lemon trees, that would be my best tip for winter or anytime before it is warm enough to harden them off to the outside. You might also be able to give them a bit of diluted water-soluble fertilizer. I’ve sometimes used Miracle Gro that waters in, but I will try to research more specifically for citrus. Good luck – I hope they hit a growth spurt soon! I feel like the first year was a bit on the slow side but now it seems they grow a bit quicker as we’re in year 3. Happy Gardening!
I had some extra space in my peace lily’s pot, so I stuck 6 lemon seeds into the pot just to see if I could get maybe one to germinate. I had forgotten all about them and to my surprise all 6 of the seeds germinated about 2 months later! Once they germinated, they started growing FAST. 2 of the 6 seeds are over 2″ tall over the span of just a few days. 🙂 I guess I need to transplant them soon all into their own little containers!
Hi Vivien! What a lovely surprise that your lemon seeds all germinated and grew so fast for you! I definitely love the idea of putting them all into their own little containers and hope they grow beautifully for you!
Hello! My son grew two lemon trees from a lemon about 4yrs ago. The one tree is now 6ft but has yet to produce fruit. I read somewhere that growing from seed will only make a donor plant and not a fruiting tree. Am I waiting for lemons that will never come?
Hi Kate! I hear your question loud and clear. Much research does show many trees grown from seed will not produce their own fruit. I know this is especially true with apples. I thought I’d seen somewhere that citrus may have better luck. I’ve stalked the gardening groups on Facebook and found plenty of gardeners who started their lemon trees from seed and some say they’ve had fruit. Some say it’s very important to keep the tree in a sunny window for fruiting. I suppose time will tell. I’ve come across stories of other gardeners who began with a seed-grown tree and then grafted fruiting branches onto the homegrown one. The picture I saw of one man’s lemon tree made my heart soar.
That being said, I am in the same boat. My homegrown lemon trees are coming up on year 3-4, if only I could remember. I aim to see it through to year 5 or so before attempting any grafting. My ultimate goal is to eventually graft a lemon, lime, and clementine branch to result in a mini citrus tree that produces all 3! Good luck! I hope your little boy’s tree grows fruit for all of you!
I had 6 seeds germinate, so i plsmted them in soil. Only 2 have started growth now – will the other 4 sprout up?
Hi Tanya! Thanks for stopping by – nice that you had 6 germinate! How long ago did you plant them in soil? Are you watering pretty regularly? Sometimes I cheat and peek at the seeds if I can do so gently without disturbing anything. It’s probably not recommended but I can’t always help myself. (: Let us know what you think and if they come up for you! Fingers crossed!
Gotme some in a towel this minute hopefully they will do well. Thanks for input on the growing process.
Hi Robert, great to hear it! I love my lemon trees – the biggest one is 100% my favorite plant that I own. I hope you have lots of lemon sprouts by now!
While soaking the lemons, do you use the seeds that float or sink? Does it matter?
Hi Lindsay! Great question! I use the thickest seeds – preferably ones that are at least as thick as an apple seed. I believe those have the best chances, but if you have space in the baggie, doesn’t hurt to throw the extras in. Also, during the summer, I’ve popped the seeds right into the ground in my garden beds or pots and some new plants have popped up that way too! Best wishes with your lemon seedlings!