...a few citrus plant connections |
The Isle of Wight lies between three and four miles off the south coast of England.
Due to its position and the maritime influence it has one of the mildest climates
in Britain. I am an infrequent visitor to the island and claim no in-depth knowledge. In my brief visits I have found two places with interesting citrus plants. If there are further citrus connections in the many gardens of the Isle of Wight, then I would be interested to hear about them. |
Osborne House |
Favourite home of Queen Victoria and where she died in January, 1901, the house and
garden in East Cowes are open to the public under the protection of English Heritage. The walled garden contains two large citrus trees espaliered against the south-facing
wall. |
A fruiting calamondin in a very large pot which appears to stay outside all
year round. |
The 'Bergamot de Versailles' is listed as an orange by some authorities. There was no sign of any fruits when I took these photos in late July 2008. |
The espaliered lemon, about 3m (9ft) tall, was carrying plenty of still green lemons. |
Ventnor Botanic Garden |
On the island's south coast and on a stretch of 'undercliff land' protected by south-facing
cliffs, this garden has an even warmer micro-climate than most of the
Isle of Wight. See http://www.botanic.co.uk/ |
Here I found two species, which, apart from in my own garden, I have never seen growing
anywhere else in the UK. |
This is a large specimen of Citrus ichangensis, the Ichang Papeda. The tree is 3-4m tall, but difficult to photograph as it is situated underneath a small tree and closely surrounded by other shrubs. However, the double leaves are instantly recognisable although I could find no sign of fruits. |
About 1m (3ft) tall this is Poncirus trifoliata 'Flying Dragon'. Sadly, this plant didn't look in the best condition with yellowing leaves and some die-back. Although it looked old enough to be fruiting, I could find none. |
page created 30th July 2008 |