edible houseplants: growing citrus, with logees’ byron martin

ARE ANY OF YOUR houseplants edible? A new book by the owners of the beloved rare-plant nursery called Logee’s Greenhouses suggests that we make room for some delicious candidates among our potted indoor plants—including some of the many choices of citrus that are well-adapted to growing in containers.

Their book is called “Edible Houseplants: Grow Your Own Citrus, Coffee, Vanilla, and 43 Other Tasty Tropical Plants” (affiliate link). The authors Byron Martin and Laurelynn Martin co-own and operate Logee’s in Danielson, Connecticut, a family business since 1892 that specializes in distinctive plants.

Byron and I talked about the best citrus for indoor growers (perhaps treated to a summer vacation outside), and how to care for them.

Plus: Enter to win a copy of the new book by commenting in the box near the bottom of the page.

Read along as you listen to the Oct. 30, 2023 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here). (Photo of Byron and Laurelynn Martin, below, by Dan Kennedy via Storey Publishing.)

citrus in containers, with byron martin

Margaret Roach:  I’ve been enjoying the book. I had no idea about some of these… I mean, I knew vanilla was an orchid, but I didn’t think about sugarcane being in the grass family, and cinnamon related to laurels, and, oh my goodness, there’s a lot of possibilities, huh?

Byron Martin: There are, and we keep discovering more. So the book has been a while since it’s been written and published, and there’s actually chapters that could be added to it.

Margaret: Uh-oh: Part two [laughter].

Byron: Right.

Margaret: The sequel. I think with