How do you tell the difference between a lemon and a lime tree?

Question

We have a two trees in our backyard. One is definitely a lemon tree and we thought the other was a lime tree, but lately we've noticed the lime tree producing bigger yellow fruit. Do limes get big and yellow like a lemon when not picked early enough or do I just have another lemon tree on my hands? Is there a way to tell the difference by looking at other physical characteristics?

Answer 1

I have one of each type also, and I just went outside to check. Take a leaf off each tree -- tear the leaf and smell it. The lime leaf will have a limier smell. The lemon leaf will have a much milder scent. The other way is to snap off a leaf and smell the bark of the tree at the place where you removed the leaf -- in this case, the lemon has almost NO smell.

Answer 2

How long have you been around those tree's ? I'd say you have 2 lemon tree's. People have successfully grafted multiple varieties of citrus on a single parent tree. In time though,the graft reverts to the root stock

Answer 3

It sounds like you have 2 lemon trees.

Answer 4

This is a really really really difficult question to answer. Now this is only a guess so don't be mad if I am wrong. I think I really need a table to put this in a simple way but I will have to make do. Anyway I think a lemon tree has lemons on it and a lime tree has limes on it. The lemons are the yellow ones and the limes are the green ones.

Answer 5

in what state do you live? this question cannot be answered if the topography and climate are not addressed. there are yellow limes--(key limes) for example.