Pot plant stuns owners as lemons start sprouting

Juilet and Frank Nisbet were left dumbfounded when their nine-year-old orange tree started sprouting bright yellow lemons without warning.

But rather than a form of horticultural alchemy, experts claim the "hybrid" lemo-nge tree is simply the product of fusion.

Amateur gardener Juliet Nisbet, 49, said she was stunned when lemons appeared to be growing from the same root and branch as the oranges.

"It started happening some weeks ago and was just really bizarre," Mrs Nisbet said.

"The orange tree is in my conservatory and it's never produced anything other than oranges before.

"But then recently it started growing lemons off the same branch.

"Now there are about four large lemons surrounding by a number of oranges.

"It's really strange and it's taken me about a week to get my head around it - I thought at first they must be oranges. All the family is astounded.

"I've never heard of anything like this before and it's never been cross-pollinated or anything."

Husband Frank, 54, was equally perplexed by the mongrel plant.

"We bought it at Dobbies Garden Centre and started getting oranges out of it after about five years," he said. "Then out of no-where these lemons started appearing. I phoned someone at the Royal Botanic Gardens who told me it was biologically possible.

"He said he'd seen something similar with an apple tree and it is something to do with trees growing next to each other and the roots getting mixed up. It's very rare, though.

"Everyone is surprised when they see it, many guests can't believe it. In fact I'm very sceptical generally and was looking for another branch thinking a root may have sneaked in.

"Unless you see it with your own eyes it's difficult to believe. It's so rare that I think it will interest a lot of people."

Neil Fishlock, head of horticulture at Dobbies Garden Centres, said: "The case of the curious orange tree is that it's a grafted tree and one of the shoots has magically popped out from below where the orange tree has been encouraged to fuse with the lemon tree.

"Anything grafted can sprout from below the join on the stem - however, it is unusual.

"Mrs Nisbet will need to beware as the lemons will potentially take over and kill off the oranges eventually.

"The attack of the killer lemons will mean she can hopefully enjoy some lemon pie from now on rather than marmalade - but certainly for this growing season and throughout the summer she has the choice of both!"