Nature

Lemon

The origin of the lemon is a mystery, though it is thought that lemons first grew in Southern India, northern Burma, and China. A study of the genetic origin of the lemon reported that it is a hybrid between sour orange and citron.

The first substantial cultivation of lemons in Europe began in Genoa in the middle of the 15th century. The lemon was later introduced to the Americas in 1493 when Christopher Columbus brought lemon seeds to Hispaniola on his voyages. Spanish conquest throughout the New World helped spread lemon seeds. It was mainly used as an ornamental plant and for medicine. In the 18th and 19th centuries, lemons were increasingly planted in Florida and California.

The world's heaviest lemon weighed 5.265 kg was grown by Aharon Shemoel (Israel) on his farm in Kefar Zeitim, Israel.