Yuzu

Sun

Full sun; shelter from cold, drying winds.

Water

Water deeply when the upper soil begins to dry, keeping the root zone moist but never waterlogged. Container plants need frequent checks in warm weather and much less water in winter.

Soil

Fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. For containers, use a free-draining citrus potting mix and a pot with unobstructed drainage holes.

Height

12-20 ft (3.7-6 m); smaller in containers

Spread

10-15 ft (3-4.6 m)

Flowers

Fragrant white flowers in spring, sometimes extending into early summer.

Foliage

Evergreen. Glossy, dark green, aromatic leaves with conspicuously winged leaf stalks; branches carry strong, sharp thorns.

Growth

Slow to moderate

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Fragrant
• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   7 ft (2.1 m)

3. After 2 years

   7 ft (2.2 m)

4. After 3 years

   8 ft (2.3 m)

5. After 5 years

   8 ft (2.5 m)

About 26 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant after the main frost risk has passed, keeping the root flare at soil level and the graft union above it.
• Water young trees regularly through their first growing seasons; avoid leaving containers standing in water.
• Apply a citrus fertiliser containing trace elements during active growth, following the label for your climate and growing method.
• Mulch over the root zone, leaving a clear gap around the trunk.
• Protect young trees during hard freezes; move containers to a bright, cool, frost-free place where winters exceed the tree's tolerance.
• Remove shoots arising below the graft union as soon as you notice them.

Pruning. Prune lightly in spring after the risk of hard frost has passed, removing dead, damaged and crossing branches. Avoid heavy pruning, which removes fruiting wood, and wear thick gloves against the thorns.

Pick green fruit in late summer or early autumn for its aromatic rind, or leave it until the skin turns yellow in late autumn to early winter for ripe rind and juice. Clip fruit off with secateurs before damaging freezes rather than pulling it from the thorny branches. Grafted trees commonly give their first worthwhile crop about 3-5 years after planting; seedlings may take 10 years or longer.

Early spring

Check overwintered plants for scale insects and spider mites, and begin feeding as active growth resumes.

Spring

Plant or repot after hard frost risk has passed; prune out damaged wood and remove rootstock shoots.

Late spring

Move sheltered container plants outdoors gradually once conditions are suitable, acclimatising them to direct sun.

Summer

Check soil moisture frequently, water thoroughly when needed and continue feeding according to the fertiliser label.

Autumn

Harvest green or yellow fruit according to its intended use, and prepare frost protection.

Winter

Keep protected container plants bright and cool, water sparingly and inspect regularly for pests.

• Use as a small specimen tree in a sheltered edible garden, with space around its thorny branches.
• Grow in a large container in a sunny courtyard where winter shelter is available.
• Include in a Japanese-inspired garden for evergreen structure, fragrant flowers and yellow autumn fruit.
• Plant on the sunny edge of a mixed fruit garden, keeping lower companions clear of the trunk.

Garden styles it suits: Japanese, Modern courtyard, Potager (kitchen garden), Edible landscape, Backyard orchard and Sensory garden.

Plant it with: Thyme, Oregano, Chives, Sweet alyssum and Calendula.

Wildlife: The fragrant flowers attract bees and other pollinating insects. Dense, thorny branches can provide cover for small birds.

• Scale insects can cause sticky honeydew and black sooty mould: inspect stems and leaf undersides, remove small infestations by hand and use a citrus-labelled horticultural oil when needed.
• Spider mites cause pale stippling and leaf drop, especially under cover: inspect leaf undersides, rinse foliage and use an appropriate labelled treatment if the infestation persists.
• Root and collar rot develop in wet soil: improve drainage, keep mulch away from the trunk and never leave pots standing in water.
• Yellow leaves with green veins often indicate iron deficiency linked to alkaline soil or impaired roots: check drainage and soil pH, then use a suitable citrus feed or chelated iron as appropriate.

The flesh, juice and rind are edible for people in normal culinary quantities. Citrus peel oils and other compounds in the peel and foliage can be toxic to cats, dogs and horses if eaten, causing digestive upset and sometimes skin irritation; concentrated essential oils pose a greater risk. Keep pets from chewing leaves or discarded peel, and keep thorny branches away from paths and play areas.

• Trifoliate orange (Citrus trifoliata)

  Has leaves divided into three leaflets and normally loses them in winter. Yuzu has a single leaf blade with a broad, winged stalk; trifoliate orange shoots may appear below a yuzu graft.

• Ichang papeda (Citrus ichangensis)

  Typically has even larger, leaf-like wings on its leaf stalks and fruit with little usable juice. Yuzu usually has a more familiar rounded citrus fruit with strongly aromatic, uneven yellow rind.

• Citron (Citrus medica)

  Usually produces much larger, often elongated fruit with a very thick rind and has little or no wing on its leaf stalks. Yuzu fruit is smaller and rounded, and its leaf stalks are distinctly winged.

Yuzu is the Japanese name for the fruit, while yuja is its Korean name.

Propagation. Usually propagated by budding or grafting onto a suitable citrus rootstock for earlier cropping and predictable growth. Seed can be sown fresh in warmth, but seedlings have a long juvenile period and may differ from the parent; rootstock suckers are not yuzu.

Accepted botanical name

Citrus junos

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.