Growing Citrus Trees in Pots: 5 Low-Maintenance Options

Three orange trees growing in pots outside a Mediterranean villa on a deck — (Image credit: Getty Images/Ekaterina Chizhevskaya)

Jump to category:

1. Lemon
2. Orange
3. Lime
4. Kumquat
5. Mandarin

Citrus trees are perfect for pots, as lemons, limes, oranges, and more bring glossy evergreen leaves, fragrant foliage, and fruits to small spaces. The portability of pots means you can place them in the sunniest spot in the garden, then move the frost-sensitive fruit trees undercover for winter. It is a win-win situation.

I worked in one historic garden in the UK where we had a large citrus collection, all growing happily in containers. They would spend winter tucked away in an orangery and were brought out for display during the summer months.

1. Lemon

Lemon trees are highly dependable and make beautiful ornamental additions when grown in pots. The fragrant flowers and fruits brighten any space, and I found them to be very low-maintenance trees for pots during my time caring for them.

One reason citrus makes some of the best fruit trees to grow in pots is that you can bring them inside to protect against the weather.

After spending the summer bringing color and scent to your outdoors, you can grow a lemon tree indoors over winter once the temperatures drop. Moving a potted lemon tree inside over winter needs to be done before the first frosts, but do keep them somewhere bright and warm for the colder months.

A compact or bush lemon tree is perfect for growing in a container, and the Meyer lemon is undoubtedly the best. It is compact, flowers and fruits prolifically, and produces sizable lemons for a small tree. Like many citrus trees, it is self-pollinating and can flower and fruit year-round in ideal conditions.

You can get a live Meyer lemon tree at Fast Growing Trees to grow outdoors in zones 9-11, or as a patio plant to bring indoors in zones 3-11.

2. Orange

An orange tree growing in a terracotta pot

Orange trees have a wonderful blend of glossy leaves, fragrant star-shaped blooms, and small, rounded fruit. They are also very easy to grow and suitable for beginners wanting to discover the joy of citrus.

There are different varieties of oranges to grow, but many trees can reach up to 30 feet tall. Thankfully, there are some fantastic dwarf varieties available if you want to grow an orange tree in a pot on a deck, patio, or courtyard.

Many oranges are self-pollinating, so you can get a crop with one tree, and they are easy to grow in a container that is a few inches bigger than the tree’s root ball.

To grow citrus trees in pots, fill your container with specialized citrus potting mix (like this citrus tree potting soil at Amazon) and place the tree somewhere it can bask in 6-8 hours of direct sunlight.

You need to keep a close eye on watering, remember to feed regularly, and prune orange trees in late winter or early spring to keep them healthy. Orange trees aren’t cold-hardy and need to be brought indoors once the temperature gets below 50-55°F.

A calamondin orange tree is the best option for a container. This mini orange is a cross between a mandarin and a kumquat, and only reaches a maximum of eight feet. It is perfect for a pot and can produce tart, small fruits year-round.

You can get a live calamondin orange tree at Amazon to grow in a container.

3. Lime

Of all the citrus trees, limes are the most sensitive to cold. That is where growing a lime tree in a pot is advantageous, as you can place it in the sunniest spot for the summer, and bring it indoors to protect it from winter.

There is a great selection of dwarf lime trees that thrive growing in pots and provide a summer feel year-round with their evergreen foliage and fragrant fruits. It includes the key lime and the kaffir lime.

You can get a live key lime tree at Fast Growing Trees that produces small fruits, perfect if you want to make a key lime pie.

If you aspire for a lime tree to bear fruit, regular feeding is essential. The citrus trees I looked after were fed monthly during winter, and that increased to every two weeks during the growing season.

I used a granular fertilizer, such as this citrus fertilizer at Walmart, but you can also get liquid feeds specially formulated for citrus trees.

4. Kumquat

Kumquats produce fruit that resembles mini oranges, but the skin is edible, so you can eat them whole and enjoy a tangy burst of flavor. They are the most cold-hardy of all the citrus trees, and the fruits are great for enjoying straight off the tree or to make marmalade.

Kumquat trees are also naturally compact, self-pollinating, and heavy-cropping, three traits that make them perfect for growing in containers. You can even grow a kumquat tree indoors to enjoy the glossy leaves and fragrant citrus perfume of its white flowers.

An outdoor kumquat tree on a deck or patio needs 6–8 hours of daily sunlight during the growing season and should be moved indoors for the colder months. Even though kumquats can tolerate as low as 18°F, their hardiness is reduced when growing in a container.

As with any on the list, watering is key when you grow citrus trees in pots. They need regular watering, especially during the summer when the soil in the container can dry out quickly.

When watering plants in containers, check the soil moisture a few inches under the surface with your fingers. Alternatively, use a soil moisture meter (available at Amazon). If the soil is dry, water deeply until it flows out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the container.

A great kumquat variety for a container is Meiwa, and you can get a live Meiwa kumquat tree at Amazon. This variety is compact and produces slightly larger and sweeter fruits than other kumquat trees.

5. Mandarin

A mandarin tree produces small, oblate fruit that appear slightly flattened at the top and bottom in comparison to rounded oranges. These fruits have a deep orange color, a strong, sweet taste, and are packed full of vitamin C.

They make great fruit trees for small gardens as mandarins are low-maintenance, slow-growing, and somewhat drought-tolerant once established. They are also cold-hardy for short periods, but will prefer to be brought indoors for winter when growing in containers.

A perfect dwarf variety of mandarin for a container is the satsuma mandarin. You can get a great crop of sweet, seedless, and easy-to-peel fruits on a tree that reaches eight feet maximum. You can get an Owari Satsuma mandarin tree at Fast Growing Trees.

Citrus trees are usually low maintenance, but sometimes their leaves start curling. This can be due to many factors, including over- and underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, pests, and diseases.

If you see this ailment on your trees, this guide to why citrus leaves curl reveals the main problems to help you diagnose the issue, and practical ways to remedy it.

Tuscan Roll Rim Pot

This handmade Italian terracotta planter has dimensions of 22.5'' H X 27.5'' W X 27.5'' D and is perfect planted up with a citrus tree to bring a Mediterranean feel to a space.

Citrus-Tone

An organic fertilizer for all citrus trees with an NPK of 5-2-6. It can be used throughout the year to provide essential nutrients to trees.

Copper Watering Can

This metal watering can has a capacity of 0.8 gallons (3 liters) and offers a functional and beautiful way to water citrus trees growing in containers.

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Drew has worked as a writer since 2008 and was also a professional gardener for many years. As a trained horticulturist, he worked in prestigious historic gardens, including Hanbury Hall and the world-famous Hidcote Manor Garden. He also spent time as a specialist kitchen gardener at Soho Farmhouse and Netherby Hall, where he grew vegetables, fruit, herbs, and cut flowers for restaurants. Drew has written for numerous print and online publications and is an allotment holder and garden blogger. He is shortlisted for the Digital Gardening Writer of the Year at the 2025 Garden Media Guild Awards.