Citrus Tree List, Spring 2020
Overview
Calamondin
Citron
Clementine
Grapefruit
Kumquat
Lemon
Lime
Limequat
Mandarin (list includes a new cultivar for 2020)
Orange
Pummelo
Satsuma (list includes a new cultivar for 2020)
Tangelo
Tangerine
Ujukitsu
All of our citrus is grafted onto Carrizo rootstock unless otherwise noted. See below for more information on all citrus rootstocks.
Rootstocks
Carrizo
Trifoliate and Washington Navel cross. Cold-tolerant, but not as tolerant as Trifoliate and Flying Dragon. Faster growing with higher yields and larger fruit than the others. Needs good drainage and protection from hard freezes.
Trifoliate
Most cold-tolerant rootstock available (but protect young trees until established). Adapted to heavy clay soils with poor drainage. Resistant to root rot and many soil diseases. Semi-dwarfing.
Flying Dragon
Dwarfing form of Trifoliate. Trees grafted onto this average 6–8' tall and are very slow-growing. Great for containers & smaller gardens. Very cold hardy, once established.
Quarantine due to Citrus Greening
Due to isolated confirmed cases of Citrus greening in the tri-county area of Fort Bend, Harris, & Montgomery counties, the transport of citrus out of this tri-county area is prohibited by law. Counties added to the quarantine area in 2019 include: Brazoria, Galveston, and Jim Hogg.
Citrus greening is considered to be the most destructive disease of citrus and has recently invaded the Americas from Asia & Africa. It is caused by a bacterium which is transmitted by insects called psyllids. There is no cure for greening & the lengthy latent period after infection makes eradication almost impossible.
For additional information, please go to:
Varieties
(Subject to availability)
Calamondin
An ornamental tree producing fragrant flowers- loved by pollinators, and a small tangerine-like fruit. The fruit has a tart, acid flavor similar to a lemon or lime. This citrus will also make an excellent hedge if multiple trees are planted in a row. A great garnish for margaritas too!
Citron
Buddha Hand
A Buddha's hand is a multi-fingered citron that, unlike a lemon or orange, is juice-free and primarily peel and spongy pith. Excellent conversation piece and great for zesting. A swipe of the microplane or grater releases its bright, potent perfume, and the resultant zest brings extra flavor to vegetable stir-fry, vinegar, baked goods, and even mixed drinks.
Clementine
Algerian Tangerine
Medium-sized, easy-peel fruit with deep orange flesh that is juicy and very sweet with few to no seeds. Highly ornamental reddish-orange rind when ripe. Season is early but long, extending into the summer. Medium-sized, nearly thornless tree.
Nules
Juicy, deep orange flesh has the sweetest taste of all easy-peel clementines. Produces heavy yields of small to medium-size fruit with few to no seeds and thinner rind than others. Ripens to red-orange Nov–May. Stores well if kept cool and dry. Dwarf (6–8'T), thornless tree is perfect for containers or landscape.
Grapefruit
Bloomsweet (aka Kinkoji)
Juicy and sweet white flesh with the unique flavor of grapefruit and orange. Large fruit are easy to peel and segment. Ripens throughout December; holds well on tree for extended harvest. Refrigerated fruit can last for months. Most cold-hardy grapefruit (survived 14.5°F in GA without leaf damage). Can reach 20–30'T x 15' spread.
Cocktail
Thin, deep yellow peel with a segmented, fragrant and seedy yellow flesh. Has a bright tangerine flavor with a refreshing grapefruit finish but no acid bite. Considered a premium grapefruit for juicing. A cross between a mandarin and a pummelo with a smidgen of orange. Ripens Nov–Feb.
Rio Red
Best of all the red grapefruits. Oblong fruit with exceptional juice content, sweet red flesh, and very few seeds. Later maturing than other "red" grapefruits. Large, fairly cold hardy tree that produces at an early age.
Ruby Red
Discovered in TX. Heavy bearer of red-fleshed, seedless fruit with thin skin and an excellent, sweet flavor. Ripens to bright yellow. Fast growing tree. Hardy to the upper 20's. Also may be available on Flying Dragon dwarfing rootstock.
Kumquat
Eat the whole fruit—rind and all. One of the most cold hardy citrus (to at least 17ºF)
Changshou
A thornless plant with very large kumquats (about twice the size of Meiwa) with fewer seeds and more juice; candy-sweet rind with deliciously acidic flesh; small tree averages 10'T with spreading form; thornless; not quite as cold hardy as Meiwa (grow in containers north of Houston). On Trifoliate rootstock.
Meiwa (sweet)
The most popular kumquat for eating straight from the tree. Fruit is large, round, very sweet, and relatively juicy with very few seeds (sometimes available in a seedless variety); ripe when bright orange in late Nov but is best in Feb; grows to about 8'T x 6' spread; very attractive small tree. On Trifoliate rootstock.
Nagami (sour)
Small fruit about the size and shape of a large olive. Edible sweet skin and sour flesh with 5–6 seeds per fruit. Use for preserves, marmalade, juicing, garnish, or slice thin in salads. Ripens late winter to early spring. On Trifoliate rootstock.
Lemon
Improved Meyer
Considered the world's gourmet lemon. Heavy producer of large, super juicy, sweeter than usual lemons (it's a lemon-mandarin cross). Flowers in spring with fruit ripening from fall to winter (early fruit is more sour). May produce two crops per year if in a protected area. Tree grows to about 10'T x 8–10'W spread. Most cold hardy lemon tolerating temps in the low to mid-20's. Also available on Flying Dragon dwarfing rootstock. Also available on 2-n-1 and 3-n-1 multi-graft trees.
Lisbon Seedless
Juicy, medium to large fruit has pale greenish-yellow, seedless flesh with true, tart lemon flavor. Ripens late September to early October and holds well on the tree.
New Zealand Lemonade
Parentage unknown but may be an orange Meyer Lemon or mandarin-sweet lemon cross. Sweet, juicy fruit looks like a lemon but the juice tastes like lemonade. Easy to peel and segment. Ripe when light green in color. Delicious fresh or used for juice or marmalade. Tree is approx 10' tall at maturity.
Ponderosa
A citrus hybrid of a lemon and a citron. This ornamental novelty bears huge lemons with thick, coarse skin and a mild lemony flavor that makes them ideal for eating raw, cooking with them, making desserts, and juicing. These trees bear at an early age with heavy crops.
Variegated Pink, aka Variegated Eureka
A cross between a cold hardy tangerine and a lemon. Produces edible round fruit with unique pink flesh, a green-striped rind when ripening, and variegated foliage. Has a tart lemon flavor. Creamy white, fragrant flowers bloom in spring against green foliage. Grows six to nine feet tall.
Lime
Kaffir (aka Thai Makrut)
Grown mainly for its leaves which are an important flavoring in Asian and Middle Eastern cooking (used like bay leaves). Bumpy, green fruit matures to yellow and is mostly ornamental (although sometimes used for zest). Small tree does well in containers and can be kept pruned and shaped. Hardy to approx 30ºF.
Key (aka Mexican Thornless)
A beautiful, small, very productive, everbearing tree of excellent quality fruit that can be used to make great pies, limeade, etc. Fruit has a thin skin, pale yellow flesh, strong lemon-lime aroma, and a sharp clean sour taste. Bears year round. Makes a very attractive container plant. Not cold-tolerant.
Palestinian Sweet
A roundish, medium-sized fruit that turns from light yellow to yellow-orange as it ripens. The rind oil has a very distinctive aroma. The straw yellow flesh is very juicy, with very little citric acid and few seeds. The zest and juice can be used to flavor baked goods while the rinds make excellent candied fruit. To approx 7' tall.
Persian/Bearrs
Compact, medium-sized tree with larger leaves than the Mexican or Key lime. Tree has very few, small thorns. Small fruit, with a thin dark green skin gradually turning light green then yellow when fully ripe. Fruit is somewhat larger than the Mexican or Key lime. Very aromatic, juicy and acidic with few to no seeds. Ripens mid-September to early October. Also may be available on Flying Dragon dwarfing rootstock. Also available on 3-n-1 multi-graft tree.
Limequat
Eustis
A cross between Mexican Key Lime and Kumquat; prolific bearer of small yellow oblong fruit which can be used like limes. This hybrid may need occasional pruning to keep full. Ever-bearing and highly productive. Eustis has a strong, tart lime flavor and small Kumquat shaped fruit.
Mandarin
Encore
A small citrus variety; one of the latest mandarins to ripen. The fruit grow in groups of two or three, rather than large clusters. They have a thin, smooth rind that's easy to peel, with a yellow-orange color that is deeper at the blossom end. Fruit is sweetest August–October.
Honey
This variety is reported to have the best flavor and aroma of all mandarins, tasting like 'spiced honey'. The tree is small and upright with a dark willowy leaf, and the juicy, sweet fruit ripens January through April.
Kinnow
This variety has an attractive, upright growth habit with dense, willow-like foliage. The fruit is spring-ripening and is sweet, juicy, and has some seeds.
Kishu Seedless
Small fruit (1–2") with a thin, bright orange, easy-peel rind, few to no seeds, and super sweet flesh. Begins to ripen in October but holds well on the tree until mid- to late January for extended harvest. Dwarf, rounded tree up to 8' tall; good for containers. Protect from temps below the mid-20s.
Page
Known as one of the best mandarins for juice. Medium-sized, easy peel fruit turns reddish-orange at maturity. Deep orange, juicy flesh has a rich, sweet flavor. Will have some seeds. Ripens around Nov–Jan. Nearly thornless tree.
Pixie, NEW 2020
Semi-dwarf growing 4–6' tall. It has a mild, sweet taste with lots of juice and deep orange flesh, and is a citrus fruit that is completely seedless, making it even more desirable to both kids and foodies in general.
Orange
Cara Cara (Pink Navel)
Navel orange with deep orange skin and reddish flesh closer in color to that of a blood orange; interior is extremely sweet with a hint of grapefruit; few to no seeds; pretty in salads because of its colorful flesh; fully ripe in early December, but very good as early as October. Withstands mild freezes, but protect from temps below approx 22ºF. Grows up to 15' tall.
Marrs
This tree is a small, sweet orange. It has a smooth, moderately thick peel. It is similar to a Navel orange and will bear heavy crops on alternate years. Mostly seedless.
Moro (Blood Orange)
Small to medium fruit with a thin orange rind becoming bright red-blushed at maturity. Flesh is juicy with few seeds and can range from red to pink depending on the number of cool nights. Flavor is rich and distinctive (with hints of berry) at peak maturity. Ripens in December but tastes best in January. Tends to bear heavily in alternate years. Moderately cold hardy. Grows to about 10–12' tall.
Navel N-33
Large with moderately thick, orange rind and a pronounced navel at the blossom end. Rich flavor with nicely balanced sugar and acid. Very juicy and seedless. Moderately easy to peel and separate into segments. Ripens early to mid November and holds well on the tree until end of January. Also may be available on Flying Dragon dwarfing rootstock.
Republic of Texas
First citrus grown in Texas dating back to the 1800's in the Santa Fe area between Houston and Galveston. Heavy producer of medium-sized, round fruit that is highly flavorful, sweet, juicy and only slightly seedy. A great juicing orange. Ripens November to December. Considered the most cold hardy of all oranges. Tree averages 15'T x 15'W spread at maturity if left unpruned.
Sanguignelli (Blood Orange)
Pink-fleshed, very sweet orange with a faint vanilla flavor and aroma. Heavy producer of extremely juicy, seedy fruit that ripens between November and February. Eat fresh or use in green or fruit salads. Also great for juicing.
Taracco (Blood Orange)
Largest fruit of the blood oranges; delicious sweet-tart flavor and few to no seeds; excellent for juicing, cooking, or eating fresh off the tree.
Valencia
A late-season orange that normally achieves maturity in late January. It is seedless, of average size and has excellent juice quality.
Valencia Rhode Red
Only type of orange that ripens in summer. Less acidic and juicier than the Valencia; deep orange-colored flesh; harvest between March and June. Delicious juice.
Washington Navel
Produces exceptionally delicious, seedless, easy to peel oranges.
Pummelo
The pummelo is an exotic large citrus fruit that is an ancient ancestor of the common grapefruit. It is the largest of the citrus fruits with a shape that can be fairly round or slightly pointed at one end. They range from cantaloupe size to as large as a 25 pound watermelon and have very thick, soft rind. The skin is green to yellow and slightly bumpy; flesh color ranges from pink to rose. Ripen from October to December and are quite edible beyond this.
Chandler
Huge, yellow when ripe, thick-skinned fruit can weigh up to nine pounds! Flavorful, sweet flesh is deep pink in color. Vigorous, spreading shrub/tree. Ripens in November. Moderately cold hardy.
Satsuma
Satsumas are generally cold hardy to the low 20's or upper teens. Best when picked just after orange coloring begins to appear on the skin (don't wait until they are fully orange).
Brown Select
Cold hardy with medium-sized, bright orange fruit. Seedless fruit has an extremely sweet, sprightly flavor. Ripens early to mid-October and into November (1–2 weeks before Owari, see below). Fruit holds well on tree until the end of December.
Louisiana Early, NEW 2020
Produces medium to large satsuma fruit. 'LA Early' has a light yellow thin leathery skin with an attractive appearance. Skin adherence is slight to moderate, but it remains easy to peel.
Miho
Seedless, very sweet fruit that ripens early (mid- to late-fall on or before Thanksgiving). Extremely cold-hardy. Up to 10–12' tall with upright, spreading growth habit.
Okitsu Wase
Juicy, sweet, nearly seedless fruit matures early (begin tasting late August/early Sept). Tree matures to 15–20' tall. On Trifoliate rootstock.
Owari
Very cold hardy with small to medium-sized, bright orange fruit. Fruit has an extremely sweet, sprightly flavor and is seedless. Very easy to peel and breaks off into segments. Ripens mid- to late October. Fruit holds well on tree until late December to early January. Willowy growth habit to 10–12' tall and wide.
Seto
Ripens mid- to late fall (start tasting late Sept to early Oct; may even be ready when still green) holding well until late December; very sweet, almost seedless flesh; smoother and thinner rind than other satsumas; oblong leaves on drooping branches; extremely cold hardy.
Xie Shan
Super early ripening satsuma (October–December) with a unique flavor. Easy-peel, seedless, and very sweet. Tree has a non-weeping growth habit that fits tighter spots or smaller gardens.
Tangelo
Orlando
Grapefruit-tangerine cross; early maturing tangelo noted for its juicy, mild, sweet flavor; flat-round in shape; good color inside and out, very few seeds; ripens Nov–Jan; large tree with large fruit; not very cold hardy.
Tangerine
Algerian
See ‘Clementine’
Dancy
One of the oldest tangerine varieties. Easy-peel rind ripens to a deep reddish color in Dec and Jan. Flesh has a rich flavor and very few seeds. Produces a heavy crop of smaller fruit one year and a smaller crop of larger fruit the next.
Ujukitsu
Orange-lemon cross with unique flavor that will keep you coming back for more; sometimes referred to as "sweet lemonade fruit" but juice and flesh have sweet, orange undertones too; unusual pear-shaped fruit that matures to yellow; quite cold hardy!
Also available on 2-n-1 and 3-n-1 multi-graft tree.