Citrus bergamia
Bergamot
Citrus trees have glossy green leaves and very fragrant waxy white flowers, followed by fruit - orange, lemon, grapefruit and lime all come into the citrus group. Most need a minimum Winter temperature of 5 - 10 deg.C, and they make excellent conservatory plants, in cooler climes, but only grow to up to half the maximum size if grown in a container in ideal conditions.The scented flowers appear in Summer in a cool conservatory. 'Bergamot' - sometimes called 'Bergamot Orange', bears fruit that resembles a lime or lemon - bears no resemblance to an orange! It has an acidic, aromatic taste and is used for the oil in the skin which is extracted and used to flavour teas such as ‘Earl Grey' and in perfumes. The tree is vigorous.
Contributed by @tylluan
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Partial shade
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Occasional watering
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Not Frost hardy
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Rich and free draining
Common name
Bergamot
Latin name
Citrus bergamia
type
Evergreens
family
Rutaceae
ph
5.0 - 7.0 Acid - Neutral
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Light
Partial shade
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Frost
Not Frost hardy
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Soil
Rich and free draining
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Water
Occasional watering
Plant & bloom calendar
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Best time to plant
full grown dimensions
2.50 M
3.00 M
Citrus bergamia
Citrus trees have glossy green leaves and very fragrant waxy white flowers, followed by fruit - orange, lemon, grapefruit and lime all come into the citrus group. Most need a minimum Winter temperature of 5 - 10 deg.C, and they make excellent conservatory plants, in cooler climes, but only grow to up to half the maximum size if grown in a container in ideal conditions.The scented flowers appear in Summer in a cool conservatory. 'Bergamot' - sometimes called 'Bergamot Orange', bears fruit that resembles a lime or lemon - bears no resemblance to an orange! It has an acidic, aromatic taste and is used for the oil in the skin which is extracted and used to flavour teas such as ‘Earl Grey' and in perfumes. The tree is vigorous.
Planting young plants
From Early Spring TO Early Spring
Pot the tree in a large container filled with a mixture of 1 part each potting soil, organic compost and per-lite or vermiculite. Give the tree plenty of room to spread out and establish a healthy root system. Replant container plants every few years to prevent roots from becoming pot-bound.
Propagation by cuttings
From Early Summer TO Mid Summer
Take softwood cuttings from new growth early in the day in Summer. Cut, neatly, an 8" approx. piece of a non-flowering shoot, and remove the bottom leaves, leaving just the top 3 leaves. Trim the end of the cutting so that it is about 6" long, cutting neatly just below a leaf node. . Dip the bottom of the cutting in hormone rooting powder, and carefully place in a pot of cutting compost about 2 1/2" into the compost. Water, label, cover with a polythene bag, and place in a warm - 65 deg. to 70 deg. - bright place, out of direct sunlight. Take the polythene bag off periodically for a while for ventilation (at least twice a week), and keep the compost moist, but not wet.
Propagating by seed
From Early Spring TO Late Winter
The pip of any type of citrus fruit can be grown in a pot of seed compost as long as the compost is kept moist - not wet - and the pot is placed in a warm environment. The compost needs to be at a temperature of no less than 60 deg., or germination may not occur, or the seedling may die.