Citrus from the Imperial
Orangery

At the orangery in Palais Schönbrunn grows the biggest collection of citrus places all over Europe.

Clementine

The Clementine is a variety of mandarin orange, which differentiates itself from similar fruits such as the tangerine by virtue of its being seedless. This characteristic, together with its ease of peeling and its sweet, juicy flesh -which contains less acid than an orange-has contributed to its popularity since it was first commercially cultivated at the beginning of the 20th Century.

Diamante Citron

A member of the citron family the Diamante receives its name from the city in Calbria where it is most commonly grown. The fruit has an elongated oval form and reach up to 2 kilograms in weight. They have very little, dry flesh but are prized for their thick, compact and sweet peel which is offen candied. From the orangery at Palais Schönbrunn.

Bitter Orange 'Salicifolia'

A widely grown Italian bitter orange variety it has long, slim leaves and the fruits turn a deep orange when ripe. The flesh is dry and typical of the bitter orange. The bitter orange blossom gives off a captivating aroma that is highly prized in the Steirereck kitchen for perfuming and aromatization of our dishes. From the Orangerie at Palais Schönbrunn.

Buddha´s Hand

The Buddha’s hand lemon is a fragrant citron variety originating in eastern Asia whose fruit is divided into finger like segments. This unique form means there is little to no flesh present in the fruit but an unusually large amount of zest. This, combined with the fact that the white pith is not bitter as in other citrus fruits, makes the Buddha’s hand perfect for candying as practically the whole fruit can be used. Our examples are from the Orangery at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.

Fortunella

Also known as the oval kumquat, the fruit from this hardy citrus tree are larger and more pointed than Otter kumquats but share the same characteristic thin, sweet peel. The fruit itself is juicy, sour and tastes very similar to lemon.

Limon Canaliculata or Furrowed Lemon

The ‘Limon Canaliculata’ or ‘Furrowed Lemon’ is an old Italian variety first mentioned in eighteenth century Tuscany. It features prominently in a painting by the Medici artist, and still life specialist, Bartholomeo Bimbi. The fruits are a small, measuring up to 7cm or so in length and maybe 5cm in diameter. The fruit itself is aromatic, juicy and relatively sweet. The peel is mildly bitter and very aromatic. Our examples are from the Orangery at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.

Kumquats

Kumquats or Cumquats are citrus fruits native to South Asia and are first referred to in Chinese literature of the 12th century. They are generally no larger than an olive and have a thin, sweet edible skin and a tart flesh. Their size and sweet zest means they are generally consumed whole when ripe or else used to make marmalades and preserves. One tree, which can reach between two to four metres in height, can bear thousands of fruit from late autumn to spring. Our examples are from the Orangery at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.

Lemonade Lemon

This Lemon variety has a thin, pale orange skin and dark yellow flesh containing many pips. Compared to other lemons ist flavour is considerably less sour and bitter. The Aroma is reminiscent of mandarin. Our examples are from the Orangery at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.

Limequat

Limequats are, as the name would suggest, a hybrid of the cumquat and the key lime developed by the American botanist Dr. Walter Swingle in the early 20th Century. The fruits are small and the skin is sweet and edible similar to the cumquat whilst the flesh is more acidic and contains pips in keeping with the key lime. Our examples are from the Orangery at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.

Lipo Lemon

The lipo lemon is an hybrid of grapefruit and lemon, which produces large, pale yellow, slightly elongated fruits. The flesh is very mild with a pleasantly sweet lemonade flavour and Untertones of grapefruit. The thick edible peel Displays similar characteristics to the fruit but still more intense.

Melarosa

The peel is very fine, lightly bitter and spicey. The flesh itself is free from pips with an intense floral aroma, sweet-sour flavour and hint of bergamot.

Moro Orange

The Moro Orange originated in Sicily in the nineteenth century and is the most colourful of the blood oranges. Its flesh has a sweet flavour with a hint of raspberry and can range from orange with a ruby tint to almost black in colour. Our examples are from the Orangery at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.

Orangeade Orange

This medium sized orange has a smooth skin and a protrusion at one end. The peel is thick, sweet and aromatic weilst the fruit is relatively bland and dry. When the fruit is candied and dried, however, it takes on another dimension entirely and one can detect floral notes and a hint of coconut.

Striped Orange

The Striped orange has been known in Europe since the eighteenth century although it remains very rare. Its name derives from its yellow and orange striped skin. The flesh, when ripe, has a light pink tint and is sweet-sour with a light bitter note. The trees are comparatively small and produce an abundance of intensely perfumed blossom. Our examples are sourced from the Orangery at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.

Striped Lemon

The striped lemon tree produces almost year round violet tinted blossom which then become these pinkish, subtly patterned fruits. The rose coloured flesh is aromatic with a pleasantly sour lemony taste and the zest has a floral, citrus scent. From the orangery at Palais Schönbrunn

Persian Lime

The Persian Lime is larger and less aromatic than the Key Lime and has the advantage of being seedless. Its fruit is also markedly less acidic and bitter. The skin turns from a bright green to almost yellow when ripe. Our examples are sourced from the Orangery at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.

Pomelo

The largest of the citrus fruits this native of South and Southeast Asia is usually pale green to yellow when ripe, with sweet white (or, more rarely, pink or red) flesh and very thick albedo. The fruit itself is divided into very large, clearly defined segments which have a crisp, relatively dry texture and a pleasant grapefruit like flavour although without the bitterness.