Eremorange

Eremorange

(Citrus glauca x Citrus sinensis)

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

Eremorange (Citrus glauca × Citrus sinensis) is a remarkable hybrid between the Australian desert lime (Eremocitrus glauca) and the sweet orange, created in Australia to combine cold hardiness and drought tolerance. Its exceptional hardiness reaches 5°F (−15°C) on the tree, classed in USDA zone 8a by Biggio and Londeix as well as G. Roques; Mon Jardin Extraordinaire offers its selection grafted onto FA5 in zone 7, which remains to be verified for the clone grown. The tree reaches 7 to 13 ft (2 to 4 m) with a spreading habit, almost exotic silvery foliage evoking an olive tree, and fragrant white flowers. Its small, light orange fruit, with thin skin, ripen in fall and winter with juicy flesh and an original, slightly tart taste, blending orange and the lemony notes of the desert parent. Excellent in blended juice or in cooking for its unique notes. Very ornamental, particularly well suited to Mediterranean-continental gardens. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata, perfectly drained soil, tolerates summer drought exceptionally well.

Identity

OriginAustralia

Genetic originHybrid (Desert lime x Orange)

USDA zone8a

Cold hardiness5°F (−15°C)

Fruit cold hardiness25°F (−4°C)

GrowthVigorous

Height10 ft (3 m)

HarvestSeptember, October

SeedsFew

UsesPreserves, Savory cooking, Sweet cooking

FlavorsSour, Bitter, Exotic

History & Description

Origin

Eremorange is a feat of hybridization carried out by CSIRO in Australia. It is a rare intergeneric hybrid crossing Citrus sinensis (sweet orange) with Eremocitrus glauca (the desert finger lime), a wild Australian species extremely resistant to drought. This marriage aimed to transfer the water-stress tolerance of the desert citrus to a commercial variety.

Tree description

It is a shrub with fine, dense foliage, inherited from its desert parent. It tolerates drought and calcareous soils particularly well.

Fruit quality

It produces small round fruit of 0.4 to 0.8 in (1 to 2 cm), orange at maturity, with very thin skin. They contain juicy vesicles that burst in the mouth.

Flavor and ornamental interest

Tasting delivers an explosion of flavor mixing the taste of orange with a hint of wild acidity. The shrub is very ornamental when covered in its "orange beads".

Key points about Eremorange

Eremorange is a collector’s hybrid between sweet orange and Australian desert lime. Its small, intensely aromatic fruit and crisp juice vesicles are appealing, but horticultural identity and actual resistance vary among the clones sold.

Why choose it

Intense, distinctive flavor.
Small juice vesicles with a crisp texture.
Good drought tolerance inherited from Citrus glauca.

Its limits

Small fruit, poorly suited to conventional fresh-eating use.
Rare hybrid with little comparable data.
Hardiness varies greatly among sellers and clones.

Practical notes

Parentage: Sweet orange × desert lime
Fruit: Small, yellow to orange
Uses: Condiment and collecting

Cold-hardiness reference: about 5°F (−15°C)

Some claims go considerably lower; without comparable trials among clones, this reference remains deliberately conservative.

Sources and method

The temperatures given are reference points for a mature tree with hardened wood. The table and callout repeat the same value as the profile. They guarantee neither freedom from damage nor a harvest after a freezing event.

Data reviewed on September 21, 2026.

Plantencentrum Exotica — Parentage and a cautious horticultural reference
À l'ombre des figuiers — Foliage, fruit, vesicles, and aromas
Greffeur d'Agrumes — Fruit description and presentation as a collector’s hybrid