Garden

Citrus trees add an attractive feature to decks and gardens. Their shiny green leaves, scented flowers and fruit make an appealing feature. A number of dwarf varieties are available, which are suitable for pots and small spaces.

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What is yuzu?   Cultivation    What does yuzu smell and taste like?     What’s the difference between yuzu and lemon?     Why is yuzu so popular?     Description     Culinary uses     Health benefits     Where can I buy yuzu?     How to grow yuzu

What is yuzu?

Yuzu (Citrus junos Sieb. ex Tanaka) is a natural hybrid of the Ichang papeda (Citrus cavaleriei), a small wild species of lemon, and a sour mandarin, and is thought to have originated from the Hubei Province, along the Yangtze River. It was introduced to Japan over 1,000 years ago during the Tang dynasty.

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Why do some flowers close at night?

This is an evolutionary process known as nyctinasty, which originated from the Greek word Νύχτα, which means night. Nyctinasty refers to a type of movement (nyctin) that serves a number of functions.

• To protect the delicate pollen and reproductive parts from moisture at night as is important that pollen remain dry so that it is easily transferred onto visiting insects as they feed during the day.
• As most pollinating insects are active during the day, there is no benefit to keeping the flowers open.
• The petals and in some cases bracts fold over and act as a protective blanket against the nighttime cold and against herbivorous insects.

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