Changsha Mandarin

The Changsha Mandarin (Citrus reticulata 'Changsha') is an old Chinese variety native to Hunan province, more precisely to the city of Changsha, which gave it its name, where it has been grown for more than a thousand years in a continental region with a humid, cold climate. Reputed to be the hardiest mandarin among the Citrus reticulata, it withstands winters at 10°F (−12°C) where most other mandarin trees would perish. Imported to the United States in the early twentieth century for American breeding programs, it became the maternal parent of several major hardy hybrids such as the Citrandarin US-852 and the 899K mandarin tree, making it a fundamental genetic piece of modern hardy citrus growing.

The tree forms a vigorous specimen reaching 10 to 13 ft (3 to 4 m) at maturity with a natural rounded habit, dense, deep green evergreen foliage, and long, slightly pointed leaves characteristic of the genus. The abundant, white, strongly fragrant spring bloom gives, in November and December, bright orange fruits of small size (2.1 to 2.8 oz, or 60 to 80 g), with thin, easy-to-peel skin, containing many seeds in the classic form. The flesh, juicy and tender, offers a well-balanced sweet-tart taste punctuated by delicate floral notes that recall the original Chinese line more than the more standardized Mediterranean selections.

In the kitchen, the Changsha excels in fresh juice, in cooking (desserts, sorbets), and as an eating fruit for those who appreciate a character more aromatic than sweet. USDA zone 8a is the planting benchmark used by Biggio and Londeix; growing it in 7b remains a borderline attempt in a very sheltered situation, notably described by Woodlanders in the United States, provided it is grafted onto Poncirus trifoliata and planted against a south-facing wall with winter mulch and P30 horticultural fleece on young trees. It appears in the reference amateur collections in France through the forum-agrumes.com forum, and remains available at a few specialist nurseries focused on hardy citrus (Vessières, Bachès, Quissac).