When you’re passionate about citrus plants, working hand-in-hand with Mother Nature to ensure they thrive is instinctive.
It’s this passion that inspired us to create the Citrina family of miniature ornamental citrus plants in the early 1980s.
But our roots go back further than that…
Back in 1970 British couple Andrew and Lindsey Henley-Welch dreamed of creating a citrus tree farm somewhere hot and sunny. The couple moved to Portugal where their passion became a reality. In fact they were so good at it that, by 1980, their nursery was providing local Portuguese farmers with beautiful fruit trees.
Word spread, and soon they were supplying citrus trees to farmers across Portugal. Then in the 1980s, Andrew and Lindsey branched out into ornamental plants and very soon became internationally recognised as ‘the’ European specialists in miniature or dwarf ornamental citrus plants.
After yet more research, development and love for these exquisite houseplants, the couple went on to develop a range of citrus houseplants with certified edible fruit. Today all Citrina miniature citrus plants yield edible fruit – the result of 45 years of passion for this most beautiful, aromatic and practical of all houseplants.
HOW CITRINAS GROW
Nurtured with love
Your Citrina is at least three years old when it reaches you. Nurtured from seed, it has undergone a three-year process of rigorous monitoring and loving care. We also use a precise, time-honoured technique to ‘cross’ different varieties to combine the best characteristics of each plant.
Your Citrina’s life starts with a dormant seed germinated in a controlled greenhouse environment. As it grows, the stem reaches the right width and height to be grafted. Another Citrina that bears the fruit you see on your plant is then grafted onto the rootstock.
We use a specific dwarfing rootstock for our potted Citrinas. It has tough disease-resistant roots, a sturdy stem and dark, healthy leaves. The plant flowers heavily, aromatically and produces an abundance of zesty fruit.
During its first two years of life, your Citrina is carefully nurtured by experts who ensure it gets just enough water and food to grow into a healthy, thriving plant. Plants are monitored daily and occasionally pruned to encourage the bushy growth and shape that looks so attractive in your home.
