Giant citron
Botanical name: Citrus medica maxima
Common name: Giant citron
General features: The citron plant has thorny branches and an irregular habit. The leaves are large and oblong with serrated margins, reddish in colour as soon as they sprout, turning a beautiful dark green colour as adults. The flowers are fragrant and large, purplish-red in bud while when open they have a white interior and a purple suffused exterior, with a great ornamental effect. The large fruits are up to 30 cm long and have a wrinkled surface with a very thick, yellow skin.
Curiosity: The citron is a very ancient citrus fruit, originating in south-east Asia. It was already classified by Pliny the Elder in the Naturalis Historia under the name 'Assyrian apple'.
Ornamental virtues: In recent years, the citron has had considerable success as an ornamental plant in pots due to its fragrant, showy blossom and large, bright yellow fruit. It is a re-flowering plant, like the lemon, and thanks to this feature it generates several annual cycles of fruiting.