The citron, Citrus medica (orange family, Rutaceae) is one of the oldest of citrus fruits. Although we have many citrus fruits--lemons, limes, grapefruits, oranges, tangerines, etc.--all were produced by humans crossing a few wild plants with small and sour fruits and selecting for better fruits. The citron is one of those wild plants, ancestor to popular citrus fruits. It is not well-known.
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| One of the varieties of citron, Citrus medica, the etrog |
Citrus fruits are native to southeast Asia and over the last few millenia have been steadily bred into more and more attractive fruits. The citron is one of the original plants, ancestor to lemons and limes (see chart on wikipedia link). Citrons themselves have been cultivated and improved; the records go back over 6,000 years. From southeast Asia citrons were traded across India then to southern Europe and North Africa. Seeds were found in Babylonian ruins from 4,000 BCE. They were was the first citrus fruit to reach the Mediterranean region, brought by the returning soldiers of Alexander the Great (325 BCE). Think what your reaction would be if you'd never seen, smelled or tasted a citrus fruit before; people loved them.
People continued to cross and breed citrus fruits, creating lemons, sour oranges, limes, sweet oranges, which reached Europe at different times over the last 2000 years. But citrons were first. They have the lovely "citrus smell." They can get bigger than an orange and have a very thick rind. Older varieties are unpleasantly sour so citrons were rarely eaten raw. But they were widely pickled or candied.
Like all citrus, citrons cannot survive much frost. Nor can they withstand much drought. Consequently, they grow in mild, relatively moist locations around the Mediterranean, across Eurasia, and in the southern United States. Citrons are small, thorny trees that look very like lemon trees. The fruits are supposed to make the best citrus rind--I haven't had a chance to try it--and are pickled or candied favorites in many places.
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| traditional citron, Citrus medica |
Long ago, people started breeding diverse varieties of citron (see especially citruspages link).
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| a nearly-ripe etrog, one variety of citron |
Citrons became one of the four plants used in the Jewish ceremony of Sokkat, the autumn festival of double thanksgiving, celebraing harvest and the escape from slavery in Egypt. The Hebrew name is etrog. Etrog citrons are gathered for the ceremony and there, because they smell and taste good, represent scholars, one of the Four Kinds of people represented by plants in the ceremony. Etrogs have a lovely scent and are pleasant if not strongly flavored.
Probably even earlier, a citron mutated in Asia to produce the distorted fruit like the one shown below.
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| Buddha's hand citron |
Instead of being repulsed, Buddhists embraced it as "Buddha's hand" and grew lots of them. They included Buddha's hand citrons in many ceremonies and celebrations. It was rarely eaten, although it can be, but cherished for its lovely scent that makes a very pleasing ceremonial fragrance and room decoration.
The name citron in English is borrowed from Middle French citron. The Middle French was a version of the Roman name for the fruit, citrum, citreum--citrons were well-known and commercially produced in ancient Rome. Linnaeus created the scientific name for the group, Citrus, from the Roman name citreum. Citreum, and apple of cedar, malum citreum, were borrowed from the Greek, kedromelon, apple of cedar, meaning cedar tree cones. The very popular citrons replaced cedar cones in Jewish and other, groups' ceremonial uses. The Citruspage says medica means from Media, a region in Persia where citrons were cultivated. My botanical sources (Coombs, Missouri Plant Finder) say medica means medicinal, used medicinally.
Citrons certainly were used medicinally, though in the last 1000 years they have largely been replaced by lemons and other, more available, citrus fruits. Gerard, in the 17th century, recommended citron juice or flesh to break up kidney stones, to soothe the stomach, to enhance appetite, to treat fevers and infections, and more. He also reported that in ancient times it was placed with stored clothes to repel moths and that, also long before he wrote, people who were to be put to death by serpent-bite, kept themselves safe by eating citrons.
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| citron flower, Citrus medica, beautiful, fragrant |
In the markets of southernmost Europe, the citron shared its name with a watermelon. Watermelons, Citrullus lanatus, are native of southern Africa, where they are very diverse. Some are round and green to yellow on the outside, from sweet to very bitter. Various varieties were grown around the Mediterranean for millennia. People pickled or sugared the bitter watermelons, like the traditional treatment of citrus citrons. They were used similarly enough that "citron" was applied to both. The buyer was not confused: citrus citrons have that wonderful citrus smell, watermelon citrons have a much harder (melon) exterior and if any smell, that of a melon. Cut open, they look quite different. Readers, however, need to remember that two very different fruits are called citron in English. See citrus melon: wikipedia.
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| Citron, the watermelon, Citrullus lanatus |
One last thing about citrons. The Chinese pun all the time. If you look at Chinese gifts, especially older pots given on special occasions, you can recognize the distinctive shape Buddha's hand citrons. Not only does using the image of the citron on the pot represent Buddhist good wishes, it makes a pun: the citron is fo shou, "blessings and longevity" would be said fu shou, so you say fo shou people easily hear "blessings and longevity." Watch for the Buddha's hand citron in Chinese art and pottery. (We don't do visual puns a lot in English, but we can, see for example Sandra Boynton's work, example wau\y down below)
Citrons are uncommon in North American groceries, but are fascinating fruits.
Comments and corrections welcome.
References
Citron Citrus medica citruspages.free.fr link Accessed 2/17/25.
Coombs, A. J. 1985. Dictionary of Plant Names. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon.
Gerard, J. 1975. The Herbal, or General History of Plants. originally published 1633. Dover Publications, New Yorlk.
Missouri Plant Finder. Citron, Citrus medica. link Accessed 2/17/25.
Oxford English Dictionary. 2024. s.v. "citron (n. & adj.) " https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/9914411320.
Wu, G.A., J. Terol, V. Ibanez and others. 2018. Genomics of the origin and evolution of Citrus. Nature 554: 311-316. (This is the source of the chart on wikipedia link)
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Visual puns in English: Sandra Boynton birthday mug,
)Kathy Keeler
A Wandering Botanist
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