Fresh eating – Hardy Citrus Atlas

Hamlin Orange

Léo / October 9, 2026

Hamlin orange (Citrus sinensis ‘Hamlin’) is a Florida selection from a chance seedling, whose parents remain unknown. Early, it produces round, non-navel oranges with thin skin and sweet, low-acid pulp. Seeds are generally rare and juice is its main use, with fresh eating also possible. Quissac reports maturity in November and December in France, and states that the fruits can drop once ripe. The 14°F (−10°C) is a commercial reference for its material on FA5, without a guarantee during a prolonged freeze. The 13 ft (4 m) height rounds up the 12 ft (3.7 m) announced by SiteOne; development will depend on rootstock and training. The USDA 8a classification comes expressly from SiteOne for Hamlin; it is an optimistic commercial indication, distinct from the generic reference of NC State. Prefer sun, drainage, and regular monitoring of ripeness.

Sunburst Mandarin

Léo / October 9, 2026

Sunburst mandarin (Citrus reticulata ‘Sunburst’) is a Florida mandarin from Robinson × Osceola, released in 1979. Its flattened, dark orange, juicy, fragrant fruits offer a sweet-tart flavor, useful fresh and as juice. UF/IFAS generally reports ten to twenty seeds depending on pollination: seedlessness cannot be promised. The tree is of medium vigor, with evergreen foliage; Pépins Perdus gives a commercial reference of 10 ft (3 m) and a hardiness of 14°F (−10°C). This cautious value is retained against the 9°F (−13°C) of Quissac, which states that it lacks hindsight on the reported superiority of resistance. No freeze protocol guarantees a prolonged French winter. French nurserymen place the harvest between November and January, to be confirmed by tasting. Talbott explicitly places Sunburst in USDA zone 8b, as a commercial indication. Protect young trees, encourage acclimation, and harvest before frost; the tree’s resistance does not demonstrate that of the fruit.

Arctic Frost Mandarin

Léo / October 9, 2026

Arctic Frost mandarin (Citrus reticulata ‘Arctic Frost’) is a Texas hybrid of Changsha and a satsuma whose exact clone is not specified. Its orange mandarins peel easily, generally contain one or two seeds, and offer a sweet-tart flavor suited to segments and juice. The foliage is evergreen; the commercial bound of 12 ft (3.7 m) gives a rounded reference of 13 ft (4 m) in the ground. Texas A&M reports the survival of unprotected adult trees at about 9°F (−12.8°C) at Overton, without establishing a guarantee for a prolonged freeze in France. The announced reference of 12°F (−11°C) is therefore kept with reservation. Talbott explicitly places Arctic Frost in USDA zone 8b in the body of its listing. November-December is an indicative French calendar to be confirmed by tasting. Protect during the first years, encourage rooting and acclimation, shelter from cold wind, and pick the fruit before a damaging freeze.

Illustration of Shirokolistvennyi satsuma with fruit and foliage in a garden or harvest setting.

Shirokolistvennyi Satsuma Mandarin

Léo / October 9, 2026

Shirokolistvennyi satsuma (Citrus unshiu ‘Shirokolistvennyi’) is Riverside’s satsuma CRC 4071 and VI 602, of reported ex-USSR origin and distributed via New Zealand. Its parents are unknown. The botanical reference describes a compact, dense, non-weeping crown, with simple leaves and flattened fruits with orange pulp. The flavor combines sweetness and acidity; the grower One Green World reports seedless fruits. The 7 ft (2 m) height applies to its growth on Flying Dragon, and the USDA 8b classification is explicitly given for this selection. The 16°F (−9°C) reference cautiously reflects an announced figure of about 15°F, which the seller says has not been verified recently. The October-December period is documented in California and remains to be confirmed in France. This satsuma is of interest for fresh eating and a compact collection, with protections suited to the garden. No frost threshold specific to the fruit is established.

Yellow citrus fruit in a wicker basket on a garden table

Citrangeremo

Léo / October 9, 2026

Citrangeremo ((Citrus sinensis × Poncirus trifoliata) × Eremocitrus glauca) is a hybrid combining citrange ancestry with an Australian citrus. Several selections circulate in Europe, with no single breeder identified. Growers describe a vigorous tree with narrow foliage, able to reach 16 ft (5 m) depending on training. Its small yellow to orange fruits hold vesicles recalling the finger lime. Their tart flavor allows fresh tasting trials; the bitterness of the skin calls for tasting before eating the whole fruit. Jams and candied fruit offer other uses. The 10°F (−12°C) reference is a claim by growers. Feigenhof explicitly gives zone 7b, versus zone 8 at Thomas Fruit Trees: these diverging classifications do not guarantee growing without protection. The harvest runs from late September to November-December depending on the catalogs. In France, choose sun, drainage, and shelter, then protect young trees and check the traits of the plant received.

Orange citrus fruit hanging among green leaves

Juanita Mandarin

Léo / October 9, 2026

Juanita is an American mandarin born from a seed of a store-bought fruit, planted by Juanita Barrineau in South Carolina. Its exact parent remains unknown, despite horticultural comparisons with Ponkan. The evergreen tree is described at around 10 to 12 ft (3 to 3.7 m) by Woodlanders, or 13 ft (4 m) in the summary field. It produces large, flattened, sweet, juicy, easy-to-peel mandarins with few seeds according to Jardin Forêt. The harvest retained is in December and January. The cautious reference of 14°F (−10°C) comes from Mayolle; other sellers report 10°F (−12°C). These indications assume a well-established, acclimated adult tree in a sheltered spot, and do not guarantee the harvest after a prolonged freeze. Ulmer explicitly places Juanita in USDA zone 8b. The fruit’s resistance to freezing remains unknown and must be assessed separately from that of the tree.

A small citrus tree bearing orange fruit in a garden

Kimbrough Satsuma Mandarin

Léo / October 9, 2026

Kimbrough satsuma (Citrus unshiu ‘Kimbrough’) is an open-pollinated Owari seedling selection, distributed from Louisiana. Its vigorous, spreading tree produces large mandarins with easy-to-remove skin and juicy, sweet-tart flesh, generally with few seeds. A north Florida tree described at about 12 ft (3.7 m) provides the rounded reference of 13 ft (4 m), without establishing a maximum height. American sources place maturity in October and November; Quissac proposes eating through December in France. The 10°F (−12°C) reference repeats a commercial claim. Its superior hardiness over Owari is disputed by LSU and is not promised. North Florida Citrus Nursery recommends Kimbrough in USDA zone 8b for established trees. The fruit suits fresh segments and juice. Choose sun, drainage, and wind shelter, protecting young trees and the crop according to the weather.

Orange citrus fruit among leaves beside a garden fence

Brown’s Select Satsuma Mandarin

Léo / October 9, 2026

Brown’s Select satsuma (Citrus unshiu ‘Brown’s Select’) is a Louisiana selection from an open-pollinated Kimbrough seedling. Retained after the 1983 freeze, it is named for Ralph Brown. Its medium to large mandarins peel easily and offer orange, sweet-tart flesh, generally with few seeds. In Louisiana they ripen from mid-October to early November; Quissac describes eating through Christmas in France. The tree is vigorous, spreading, and evergreen, with a rounded commercial height reference of 16 ft (5 m) depending on the rootstock and pruning. The 14°F (−10°C) reference matches UF/IFAS observations on acclimated trees, without guaranteeing behavior during a prolonged freeze. Just Fruits and Exotics explicitly places this cultivar in USDA zone 8a. The fruits suit fresh segments and juice. Favor sun, drainage, and wind shelter; protect young plants and pick before a damaging freeze.

Yellow citrus fruit and peeled segments on a plate

Hyuganatsu

Léo / September 29, 2026

Hyuganatsu (Citrus tamurana) is a Japanese citrus from a chance seedling, prized for its edible white albedo. Discovered around 1820 in Miyazaki, on the island of Kyushu, it is also called Konatsu. Its full parentage is unknown. Nurseries report 16°F (−9°C) on an adult, acclimated tree during a brief freeze. This reference theoretically corresponds to USDA zone 8b, without guaranteeing a harvest. The evergreen tree reaches about 10 ft (3 m) in cultivation. Its growth is vigorous and its spring bloom is white. The yellow, medium-sized fruits have juicy, tart flesh. Ripening is spread from January to May depending on where it is grown. Removing the yellow peel and eating the white with the pulp balances the acidity. The classic type requires cross-pollination and can contain many seeds. Fresh fruit, juice, and desserts showcase its flavor. Plan a sheltered spot, well-draining soil, and, in cold climates, a pot overwintered frost-free.

Orange citrus fruit hanging among narrow leaves

Sanford Curafora

Léo / May 7, 2026

Sanford Curafora (Citroncirus ‘Sanford Curafora’) is a contemporary hybrid selected in Switzerland by Dr. Edwin Frey, from the open pollination of Sanford Citrange (Poncirus trifoliata x Sanford orange), probably by a mandarin or clementine. This selection effort in the European alpine climate represents an original path in the search for hardy citrus with edible fruit. Its hardiness reaches 10°F (−12°C) once the tree is established, making it suitable for in-ground growing up to USDA zone 8a. The moderately vigorous tree reaches 7 to 10 ft (2 to 3 m) with fine, dark green, glossy evergreen foliage, reminiscent of a mandarin’s, with a few occasional trifoliate leaves inherited from Poncirus. Its mandarin-sized fruits, weighing 2.5 to 3.5 oz (70 to 100 g), with light orange, easy-to-peel skin, offer juicy, sweet flesh with a slight residual bitterness. Excellent as fresh fruit and jam. Grafted onto Poncirus trifoliata, against a south-facing wall.