Lemon Myrtle ( Backhousia citriodora ) is an Australian species; that is native to south eastern Queensland. The tree grows naturally in sub-tropical rainforests along the coast; from as high as Mackay; down to Brisbane but can be grown as far down as Melbourne’s temperate climate.
Backhousia citriodora is most famous for its use in both cooking and as an essential oil. It was first discovered as a potential for commercial use in 1889 and was being used commercially to flavour lemonade in Australia during World War II.
Lemon Myrtle has the nickname of ‘The Queen of Lemon Herbs’. It has a more potent oil than any other of the lemony plants, including lemon fruit itself! Crushing the leaves of this species releases a distinct lemon aroma and the oil is harvested commercially and used to flavour cakes; sauces; biscuits; drinks; and ice cream; it is also a common ingredient in cosmetics. Its essential oil has properties that make it useful aiding with chest infections; flu’s; depression and anxiety, it also has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties; so, can be used in cleaning.
Growth
The Lemon Myrtle tree is flowering and evergreen and although it can grow to 20 metres in its natural habitat is rarely larger than 5-6 metres tall. Its leaves are green all year round and can get up to around 10 cm’s long and 2.5 cm’s wide; flowers are small; have 5 tiny petals and are a creamy white colour; they grow in clusters. The dried flower looking seed pods of this species (pictured) hold several very small seeds inside of them.
Note: Germination instructions can be found in the ‘Germination Instructions Tab’ below. Upon purchase you will receive these detailed instructions via email so that you have a permanent record.
FAMILY:
Myrtaceae
CLIMATE:
Temperate, Sub Tropical & Tropical
TEMPERATURE RANGE:
-5°C to 38°C / 19 to 100°F. Will tolerate the lower end of these temperatures, if protected from frosts and cold winds.
SOIL TYPE:
Is tolerant of most types of soil; including slight amounts of clay but prefers a moist well-draining soil.
LOCATION:
Full Sun – Part Shade
HEIGHT:
Up to 6 metres commonly (20 feet)
WIDTH:
Up to 4 metres (13 feet)
pH:
6.0-7.0
GROWTH TYPE:
Evergreen
WATER REQUIREMENTS:
Low – Medium
POLLINATION:
Pollinated by Bees. Bisexual flowers
MATURITY:
3-4 years
GERMINATION RATES:
25-74% – See facts below for more details, smoke treatment can boost germination rates.
GERMINATION TIME:
3-8 weeks
GERMINATION DIFFICULTY:
Medium-Hard
SEEDS PER GRAM:
Approximately 85 – measured by seed pods, seed quantity is generally higher.
MEDICINAL QUALITIES:
Yes
WEED POTENTIAL:
No
EDIBLE:
Yes, leaves can be used in teas or as a flavouring for cooking.
SEED STORAGE & VIABILITY:
Cold Storage at 4°C (Fridge) up to 1 year. This species does not tolerate freezer storage well (-18to-20°C).
FACTS ABOUT BACKHOUSIA CITRIODORA (Lemon Myrtle)
Lemon Myrtle is a popular essential oil and medicinal herb. It has a much higher citral purity than lemongrass and can be diluted to 1% and used as an antiseptic.
Backhousia citriodora can have poor germination rates, this is generally due to a lack of quantity of seeds inside pods; rather than a viability issue and is the reason why we supply full pods. The seeds are tiny, papery and can lose viability quickly once removed from the pod, so removing them prior shipping is not an option. Smoke treatments can aid in germination, smoked vermiculite which is simple to use while sowing; is available in our store.
Many people say that this species is best grown from cuttings because of assumed low germination rates. However, this is often debated as the other way round because cuttings from this tree are very slow to strike and commonly will not grow into a full tree size from cuttings and can stay in more of bush / shrub form.
