Planellina Satsuma

Planellina Satsuma

(Citrus unshiu 'Planellina Wase')

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

The Planellina Satsuma (Citrus unshiu 'Planellina Wase') is an early satsuma selection originating in Spain, chosen for its flavor quality and early harvest. Its hardiness reaches 10°F (−12°C) on the tree, among the hardiest satsumas, making it suitable for planting in the ground in USDA zone 8a. The tree grows 7 to 10 ft (2 to 3 m) tall with the spreading, weeping habit characteristic of satsumas, evergreen foliage and fragrant white flowers in spring. Its bright orange, medium-sized fruits (3.5 to 5.3 oz, or 100 to 150 g), seedless, with thin, very easy-to-peel skin, are harvested from September for juice, then in October as eating fruit, according to Quissac, with particularly juicy, sweet, low-acid flesh. Excellent fresh, as juice and in sorbet. Ideal for anyone who wants an early-harvest mandarin before the first severe frosts. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata, plant against a south-southwest-facing wall.

Identity

OriginJapan (classic Japanese selection)

Genetic originVery early selection of Citrus unshiu (Satsuma)

USDA zone8a

Cold hardiness10°F (−12°C)

Fruit cold hardiness27°F (−3°C)

GrowthModerate

Height10 ft (3 m)

HarvestSeptember, October

SeedsSeedless

UsesFresh eating, Juice

FlavorsVery sweet, Highly aromatic

History & Description

Origin

The Planellina Satsuma is a classic Japanese selection of Citrus unshiu, remarkable for its extraordinarily early maturity. The term Wase, attached to its name, means precisely "early" in Japanese and ranks this variety among the first satsumas to offer their fruit, as early as September. This earliness makes it a strategic variety for climates with shortened growing seasons, where late satsumas fail to ripen before the first frosts. Distributed in France by specialist nurseries such as Quissac, it revives interest in the heritage Japanese selections that formed the basis of world mandarin growing in the twentieth century. Its introduction into French catalogs is recent, and it remains relatively obscure among amateur gardeners.

Tree description

The tree reaches 10 ft (3 m) tall at maturity, with the semi-upright habit typical of satsumas. The evergreen foliage is dense and bright green, with medium lanceolate leaves. The white spring bloom is abundant and very fragrant. The early maturity calls for particular attention to the first fall frosts, which could damage ripe fruit. Growth is moderate, well suited to growing in the ground in zone 8a or in a large container for colder regions.

Fruit quality

The fruits, ripe from September to October, are small, bright orange mandarins, seedless, very sweet and strongly fragrant. The flesh is tender and particularly juicy, with a delicate fragrance recalling classic satsumas but with added sweetness. The thin skin peels very easily, an essential trait for eating out of hand. It is an ideal fruit for children thanks to its small size and total absence of seeds.

Flavor and ornamental interest

The Planellina Satsuma excels as an eating fruit, to be enjoyed fresh from fall, when other citrus are not yet ripe. Its September-to-October earliness makes it a perfect complement to the seasonality of French orchards, offering the first citrus sweetness of the year. As juice, its delicate fragrance and natural sweetness suit cold drinks and sorbets. As an ornamental, seeing the tree loaded with small orange mandarins in September offers an unexpected, warm spectacle. Its hardiness at 10°F (−12°C), decent for a satsuma, destines it for gardens in the Mediterranean and Atlantic zone 8a.