Lemon Bonsai

The lemon bonsai is a citrus fruit native to China thought to be a cross between a true lemon and either a mandarin or common orange. It became popular as a food item in the United States after being rediscovered by chefs such as Alice Waters at Chez Panisse during the California Cuisine revolution. Their leaves are dark green and shiny. The flowers are white with a purple base and fragrant. The fruit is yellow and rounder than a true lemon. The skin is fragrant and thin, colored a deep yellow with a slight orange tint when ripe. Lemon bonsai fruits have a sweeter, less acidic flavor than the more common Lisbon or Eureka grocery store lemon varieties. The pulp is a dark yellow and contains up to 10 seeds per fruit.