Mary Allen
Oranges, lemons, limes, tangerines, pomelos, and grapefruit grow on the citrus plants. Those are citrus fruits. The citrus plants form a genus within the plant kingdom. The fruits are a special form of berry.
The citrus plants originally come from Southeast Asia. It’s hot there in the tropics or subtropics. They grow as trees or large shrubs and reach a maximum height of 25 meters. They keep their leaves all year round.
Some citrus plants bloom only during a certain season, and others spread throughout the year. The flowers are either purely male or male and female mixed. Insects are responsible for pollination. If a flower is not pollinated, there is still a fruit. Such fruits have no seeds in them. That is why they are popular with many people.
Humans brought citrus plants west from Asia. About 2300 years ago they existed in Persia, a little later in the Roman Empire. They still grow today in the warm areas around the Mediterranean Sea. From there you know a lot of people from vacation. But they are also found in many other areas of the world where it is warm enough. Most citrus plants do not grow too far from the coast. The leaves of their trees are usually very thick. This way they are better protected from the heat.