Hardy Citrus Atlas

Juice

Close-up of a heart-shaped tattoo bearing the word "Love".

Valentine Pummelo

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The Valentine Pummelo (Citrus × ‘Valentine’) is a modern hybrid released by the University of California, Riverside, from a cross between the Siamese Sweet pummelo and a hybrid of the Ruby blood orange and the Dancy mandarin. Its hardiness reaches 14°F (−10°C) on the tree, making it suitable for in-ground growing in USDA zones 8a to 8b. The tree reaches 10 to 16 ft (3 to 5 m) with a vigorous rounded habit, evergreen foliage, and very fragrant white blossom. Its large fruits (10.5 to 16 oz, or 300 to 450 g), with yellow-orange skin and red-pink flesh pigmented with anthocyanins, ripen in winter and offer juicy, sweet flesh, not very bitter unlike classic grapefruits, slightly tart and fragrant. Visually spectacular, especially around Valentine’s Day, hence its name. Excellent for fresh eating, in fruit salad, and as juice. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata.

An unevenly colored yellow-orange citrus fruit hanging on a branch

Striatta ‘Bizzaria’ Bitter Orange

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The Striatta Bitter Orange, also called Bizzaria di Firenze (Citrus aurantium ‘Striata’), is a famous botanical chimera discovered in the 17th century in a Medici garden in Florence. On a single tree it produces variegated fruits (striped orange, yellow, and green) that combine the characteristics of the bitter orange and the citron in varying proportions. Its hardiness reaches 14°F (−10°C) on the tree, with a USDA zone 8a climate benchmark kept in this entry, indicative and to be confirmed for the cultivated material. The tree can reach 10 to 13 ft (3 to 4 m) in the ground with an irregular, thorny habit, foliage sometimes itself variegated green and cream, and very fragrant white blossom in spring. Its exceptional striped fruits, medium-sized, with bumpy skin, ripen in winter. More ornamental than edible, but their candied peel and fragrant juice are prized by collectors. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata, plant against a south wall. A historic collector’s piece.

A pile of small round green citrus fruit

Beto Sudachi

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The Beto Sudachi (Citrus sudachi ‘Beto’) is a Japanese selection of sudachi, a traditional citrus of Tokushima Prefecture. Its hardiness reaches 10°F (−12°C) on the tree, making it suitable for in-ground growing in USDA zones 7b and 8a, among the hardiest of the edible Japanese citrus. The tree reaches 6.5 to 10 ft (2 to 3 m) with a rounded habit, aromatic evergreen foliage, and fragrant white blossom. Its flat-round fruits, bright green (harvested green) or golden yellow (at full maturity), small (1.5 to 2 in, or 4 to 5 cm), with thin skin, ripen in September and October and hold a very sour juice, fragrant with lime and yuzu notes, without bitterness. Indispensable in Japanese cooking (fish, soba, sauces, seasoning). A few seeds. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata, plant against a south wall, in well-drained soil.

A large pale yellow citrus fruit on a leafy branch

Honghe Papeda

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The Honghe Papeda (Citrus × honghe), a hybrid between the Ichang papeda and an edible citrus, is a Chinese selection from Yunnan Province, where it grows at mid-elevation. Its hardiness reaches 10°F (−12°C) on the tree, making it suitable for in-ground growing in USDA zones 7b and 8a. The vigorous tree reaches 16 to 20 ft (5 to 6 m) for the material described by Pépinière du Bosc, with an upright, thorny habit, evergreen foliage with the large winged petiole characteristic of papedas, and fragrant white spring blossom. Its yellow-green, very large fruits (1.3 to 2.2 lb, or 600 g to 1 kg, according to Pépinière du Bosc), with bumpy skin, ripen from December to March according to Pépinière du Bosc and hold a slightly tart, aromatic juice, described as balanced and pleasant in the mouth by Pépinière du Bosc. Used mainly in traditional Chinese cooking and by collectors of old citrus. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata for maximum hardiness.

A citrus tree bearing large pale yellow fruit

Hirado Buntan Pummelo

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The Hirado Buntan Pummelo (Citrus maxima ‘Hirado Buntan’) is an old Japanese pummelo variety grown for centuries on Hirado Island in Nagasaki Prefecture, considered one of the best pummelos in the world for its sweetness. Its hardiness reaches 12°F (−11°C) on the tree, among the hardiest pummelos, making it suitable for in-ground growing in USDA zones 8a to 8b. The vigorous tree reaches 13 to 20 ft (4 to 6 m) with an imposing rounded habit, glossy evergreen foliage, and very fragrant white blossom. Its golden yellow, very large fruits (14 to 28 oz, or 400 to 800 g), with thick skin, ripen in winter and offer juicy, sweet, low-acid, pinkish-white flesh that is exceptionally fragrant. Excellent for fresh eating and refined fruit salad. A variety for lovers of sweet pummelos. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata, plant against a south-facing wall, in well-drained soil.

Three rough orange citrus fruit on a garden table

899K Voss Mandarin

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The 899K Voss Mandarin (Citrus reticulata ‘Changsha’ × Poncirus trifoliata) is a remarkable hybrid created by the German breeder Bernhard Voss, crossing the ultra-hardy Changsha mandarin with Poncirus trifoliata to produce a mandarin viable in the continental European climate. Its hardiness reaches 9°F (−13°C) on the tree, among the hardiest mandarins in the world, making it suitable for in-ground growing up to USDA zone 7b. The tree reaches 6.5 to 10 ft (2 to 3 m) with an upright, semi-thorny habit, semi-evergreen foliage, and fragrant white blossom in spring. Its orange, small-to-medium fruits (3 to 4 oz, or 80 to 120 g), with easy-to-peel skin, are used in cooking from November and December, then reach maturity for fresh eating from February, with tart, fragrant flesh and a slight residual bitterness from the Poncirus. A reference variety in German hardy breeding programs. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata.

An orange citrus fruit with attached leaves on a white background

Encore Mandarin

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The Encore Mandarin (Citrus reticulata ‘Encore’) is a modern hybrid between the King mandarin and the Mediterranean mandarin, famous for its very long harvest season, which can stretch from March to May. Its hardiness reaches 14°F (−10°C) on the tree, making it suitable for in-ground growing in USDA zones 8a to 8b. The tree reaches 10 to 13 ft (3 to 4 m) with an upright habit, evergreen foliage, and fragrant white blossom. Its bright orange, medium-sized fruits (5 to 7 oz, or 150 to 200 g), with thin, easy-to-peel skin, ripen very late (March to May) with very juicy, sweet, low-acid, fragrant flesh, extending the season after the early satsumas and clementines. A few seeds. Ideal for spreading out production and having fresh mandarins in spring. Excellent for fresh eating and juice. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata.

Yellow citrus fruit hanging from garden branches

Taiwanica Lemon

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The Taiwanica Lemon (Citrus taiwanica), also called Nansho-daidai, is the only true lemon to reach an exceptional hardiness of 5°F (−15°C) on the tree, which makes it suitable for in-ground growing up to USDA zone 7b. Native to the mountains of Taiwan, it was introduced to Japan, where it naturalized in cold regions. The vigorous tree reaches 10 to 13 ft (3 to 4 m) in cultivation according to catalogs, and up to 16 ft (5 m) according to the Bosc catalog, with an upright, thorny habit, aromatic evergreen foliage, and very fragrant white blossom in spring. Its green fruits turning yellow at full maturity, medium-sized, with thick, bumpy skin, ripen in winter with a very sour, fragrant juice suggesting a natural cross between lemon and bitter orange. Tolerates snow on the tree without damage. Excellent for juice, marinades, marmalade, and Asian cooking. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata, plant against a south-southwest wall.

Two large pale yellow citrus fruit on a kitchen island

Jokan Grapefruit

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The Jokan Grapefruit (Citrus × jokan) is the hardiest grapefruit in the world, native to Japan, where it was selected in the southern regions to combine respectable size and cold resistance. Its hardiness reaches 7°F (−14°C) on the tree, among the hardiest citrus in the inventory, making it suitable for in-ground growing up to USDA zones 7b and 8a. The vigorous tree reaches 10 to 16 ft (3 to 5 m) with a rounded habit, glossy evergreen foliage, and fragrant white blossom. Its bright orange, medium-to-large fruits (7 to 12 oz, or 200 to 350 g), with thick skin, ripen in winter and offer sweet, slightly tart flesh, less bitter than classic grapefruits, particularly pleasant fresh in a winter fruit salad. The ideal grapefruit for producing in a cold temperate climate. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata, south wall.

A whole yellow citrus fruit and a cut half

Marunero Grapefruit

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The Marunero Grapefruit (Citrus obovoidea ‘Marunero’) is a hardy Japanese grapefruit from the southern archipelago, selected for its adaptation to cooler climates than classic Mediterranean grapefruits. Its hardiness reaches 7°F (−14°C) on the tree, among the hardiest grapefruits in the world, making it suitable for in-ground growing in USDA zones 7b and 8a. The tree reaches 10 to 16 ft (3 to 5 m) with a vigorous rounded habit, evergreen foliage, and very fragrant white blossom. Its golden yellow, large fruits (9 to 14 oz, or 250 to 400 g), with thick, rough skin, ripen in winter and offer sweet, juicy, slightly tart and fragrant flesh, milder than most grapefruits. Excellent for fresh eating, juice, and winter fruit salad. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata, plant against a south-facing wall.

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