Citrandarin US-852

Citrandarin US-852

(Citrus reticulata 'Changsha' x Poncirus trifoliata 'English Large')

Documented by Léo — grown in the ground, USDA zone 8b

The Citrandarin US-852 (Citrus reticulata 'Changsha' x Poncirus trifoliata) is a modern hybrid created by the American USDA program, crossing the ultra-hardy Changsha mandarin with Poncirus trifoliata to combine the two best hardiness lines. Its hardiness reaches 9°F (−13°C) on the tree, making it suitable for planting in the ground as far as USDA zone 7b. The tree grows 10 to 13 ft (3 to 4 m) tall with an upright, semi-thorny habit, semi-evergreen foliage and white spring flowers. Its bright orange, small to medium-sized fruits (2.8 to 4.2 oz, or 80 to 120 g), with easy-to-peel skin, ripen in winter and offer a fragrant sour-sweet juice close to a traditional mandarin, with a slight residual bitterness from the Poncirus. Excellent in blended juice, marmalade, or fresh for lovers of bold flavors. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata to stabilize vigor, south-facing wall.

Identity

OriginUnited States (California, Indio station)

Genetic originHybrid of Changsha Mandarin × Poncirus trifoliata 'English Large Flowered', created in 1965 by Dr. Joe Furr

USDA zone7b

Cold hardiness9°F (−13°C)

Fruit cold hardiness27°F (−3°C)

GrowthModerate

Height10 ft (3 m)

HarvestNovember, December

SeedsModerate

UsesJuice, Preserves

FlavorsSour, Slight bitterness

History & Description

Origin

The Citrandarin US-852 is a citrus hybrid created in 1965 by Dr. Joe Furr at the experiment station in Indio, California, as part of the USDA program to develop rootstocks resistant to disease and cold climates. Born of a cross between the Changsha Mandarin and Poncirus trifoliata 'English Large Flowered', it was released to the public in 1999 by the USDA, mainly as a rootstock for orange orchards in central Florida. After being gradually abandoned in American commercial production, it was rediscovered by the European community of enthusiasts, notably thanks to the French-language forum agrumes-passion.com, which has followed its performance in the ground for more than fifteen years. Today it is part of the panorama of the most interesting Poncirus hybrids for amateurs seeking edible fruit in the coldest zones of France.

Tree description

The tree has a more compact stature than most grafted citrus, generally reaching 10 ft (3 m) at maturity with a balanced silhouette. The foliage is partly trifoliate depending on the specimen, inherited from its Poncirus parent, and growth is moderate but very regular. Hardiness, estimated by French users at 10 to 5°F (−12 to −15°C), places this hybrid at the top of the frost-resistance scale. It is a tree suited to small gardens or in-ground collections in regions where winters regularly fall below 14°F (−10°C).

Fruit quality

The fruit looks like a small orange mandarin at maturity, with thin skin. The pulp is sour with a slight residual bitterness from the Poncirus, but much less pronounced than in the Citrumelo thanks to the moderation provided by the Changsha parent. Seeds are present in moderate numbers. Ripening is late and sometimes requires protection against the first, most severe frosts before picking.

Flavor and ornamental interest

The Citrandarin US-852 occupies a unique niche among hardy Poncirus hybrids: its fruits, unlike pure Poncirus or the Citrumelo, are edible as diluted juice or in jams. It bridges the gap between purely ornamental ultra-hardy citrus and true zone 8a mandarins. For the gardener-collector, it represents a variety with little distribution in France, rich in lessons about the USDA breeding programs of the 1960s and about the still-unexplored possibilities of mandarin × Poncirus introgressions.