Garden House Call: Sunburned Citrus
Have you ever had a sunburn? Maybe a better question is, “Who hasn’t?”
Well, did you know that many plants get too much as well?
I recently made a house call for a client who was worried about her newly planted citrus trees.

Sunburned Citrus
This particular client has a large courtyard with several new citrus trees in pots.
The citrus were planted in spring and as summer progressed, the client noticed the leaves on her orange tree turning yellow.

Now yellow leaves can indicate a number of different problems. But in this case, the diagnosis was rather simple – her citrus tree has a case of sunburn.
Here are some common signs of sunburned plants:
– The areas of the leaf that are yellow are in the center and NOT along the tips or edges.
– Often, the yellow areas begin to turn brown.
– Signs normally occur in the summer months.
– The sunburned leaves are usually located on the south and west-facing parts of the plant.
– This particular citrus tree is in an area that receives reflected, afternoon sun.
So, what can you do to prevent sunburned citrus?
In this case, the solution is simple – moving the citrus tree to another part of the courtyard that receives afternoon shade is all that is needed to prevent further sunburn damage. OR, 50% shade cloth can be used from mid-May through September.
Citrus do best when planted at least 10 – 15 ft. away from walls, which absorb the heat of the day and re-radiate it out.
Avoid planting where they get the full force of afternoon sun.


I bet your client was very happy with your diagnosis!
This is such a simple diagnosis that can help to prevent a lot of unnecessary costs. Without knowing the proper root of the problem, the homeowner could have derived with the decision for the complete removal of her citrus trees. However, since it is just the issue of sunburn, she can simply move the potted trees indoors to reduce the amount of sun exposure or cover them up partially with a net or fabric.
Well we planted our citrus among all of the spots you recommend to avoid – high sun throughout the day, near cement block walls that hold heat and so on. Our little citrus is sunburned – is there anything to heal it or just prevent further sunburn and hope it’s not terminal?
Hello Jonny,
You can add some shade cloth to help protect them through the summer months. As they grow older, they will better be able to withstand the summer heat. 🙂