Most people don’t realize a lemon tree can actually “bite” until they get up close and personal with one! Those sharp little spikes can be pretty painful if they catch you off guard. That’s why I always recommend grabbing a sturdy pair of gardening gloves before you start pruning or repotting your citrus friends.
Spiky Citrus Secrets
It’s actually completely normal for citrus plants to have spikes. Fun fact for my fellow plant nerds: they aren’t technically “prickles”—they’re thorns. The difference is that thorns are a permanent part of the branch’s structure. If they were prickles (like on a rose), you could easily snap them off the surface.
Because they are part of the wood, snapping or cutting off the thorns actually wounds your lemon tree (*Citrus x limon*). These little open sores are like an open door for pests and diseases to move in and make themselves at home.
Lemon Trees: To Thorn or Not to Thorn?
Even though lemon trees naturally grow thorns, you might find some varieties at the nursery that have very few or even none at all. This is usually because breeders have specifically selected and bred those traits out over time to make them more “user-friendly” for us gardeners.
The Mystery of the Sudden Spikes
If your lemon tree has been smooth for years and suddenly starts sprouting sharp thorns, you’re likely dealing with a grafted tree. Most store-bought lemons are grafted onto a hardier “rootstock” like Bitter Orange or Trifoliate Orange—both of which are very thorny. Sometimes, that rootstock decides to take over and push out its own wild, spiky growth.
It’s hard to predict exactly when this will happen, but a few things can trigger it:
- Pruning the top of the tree too aggressively
- The “scion” (the lemon part) dying back due to a rough winter or poor conditions
- Forgetting to trim away new shoots popping up from the base of the trunk
Thorns vs. Leaves: Finding the Balance
On a naturally thorny lemon tree, you’ll usually see the newest spikes at the ends of the branches. Since they don’t fall off on their own, they eventually end up all along the stems. Usually, the lush green leaves hide them pretty well.
However, if you start noticing more thorns than leaves, take it as a cry for help! Dropping leaves is a sign your *Citrus x limon* is stressed. Common culprits include:
- Not enough sunlight
- Inconsistent watering
- A lack of nutrients (they are heavy feeders!)
A cramped root system can also stress the tree out. To keep your lemon tree happy and leafy, try to repot it every two years into a slightly larger home.
