Growing, and caring for, a lemon tree is great for your mind, soul, and body. And Instagram feed.
But not all lemons come out pretty and instagrammable. You might not know — or at least I didn't know — deformed lemons come out like TINY, LAB-RUNAWAY ALIENS.
AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
[Imagine coming home to squeeze yourself a cup of fresh lemon water in the sweltering summer, and this is waiting for you at your kitchen counter.]
But though they look grotesque (and a little fucked-up) at first glance...
...the more you stare at them...
...the more endearing they are. Look at this guy. And its itty-witty-bitty legs.
This one looks like swan!
And this one an elephant!
And this one — anyway.
The "mutation" in lemons is caused by the citrus bud mite, also known as Aceria sheldoni, that hijacks and feeds in the leaf and flower buds of the citrus, twisting and molding it into insane formations.
Which brings us to the mother and monster of all citrus bud mite creations someone found in their backyard:
That has Tumblr like:
And hilariously reacting:
Like it is the spawn of Satan:
So when life gives you deformed lemons.... we're pretty sure this is the metaphorical embodiment of the Beyoncé album.
