Hardy Citrus Atlas

7b

Yellow citrus fruit in a wicker basket on a garden table

Citrangeremo

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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.

A garden citrus tree bearing yellow-orange fruit

Yuzu

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Yuzu (Citrus × junos) is a citrus of hybrid origin, native to China and emblematic of Japanese cooking. Its fragrant zest and sour juice flavor sauces, pastries, and jams. With a hardiness reference of 5°F (−15°C) for a well-established adult tree, it is among the few citrus suited to in-ground growing in most French regions. The limiting USDA zone retained is 7b. Choose sun, wind shelter, and drainage; protect young plants during the first winters. The evergreen, thorny tree with white flowers often reaches 5 to 10 ft (1.5 to 3 m) in cultivation. This entry presents the classic yuzu, with no named selection. The rounded fruits turn yellow and contain many seeds. The harvest is generally from October to December depending on the climate. The tree’s hardiness does not guarantee that of the fruit. Guide to growing yuzu in containers and in the ground.

A citrus tree bearing orange fruit on a lawn

Owari SRA 145 Corsica Satsuma Mandarin

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Owari SRA 145 Corsica satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu ‘Owari SRA 145’) is a French clonal selection from the INRAE Corsica San Giuliano program, which catalogs and improves satsuma varieties adapted to the French climate. Its hardiness reaches 9°F (−13°C) on the tree, among the hardiest mandarins, making it suitable for in-ground growing in USDA zones 7b and 8a. The tree reaches 7 to 10 ft (2 to 3 m) with a spreading, weeping habit, evergreen foliage, and fragrant white flowers. Its bright orange, medium-sized fruits, weighing 3.5 to 5.3 oz (100 to 150 g), seedless, with thin, easy-to-peel skin, ripen in November-December with juicy, sweet, low-acid flesh. A French reference for satsuma production in temperate climates. Excellent fresh, as juice, and as sorbet. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata, plant against a south-facing wall, in well-drained soil.

A citrus tree bearing yellow fruit beside a wall

Citrus Taiwanica (Nansho Daidai)

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Citrus taiwanica Nansho-Daidai (Citrus taiwanica Tanaka & Shimada) is the formal botanical classification of the Taiwanese lemon, a plant endemic to Taiwan reported in the Hsinchu and Nanzhuang regions and in the low-elevation forests of the east of the island by the Taiwanese forestry administration. Its hardiness reaches 9°F (−13°C) on the tree, making it suitable for in-ground growing in USDA zones 7b and 8a. The tree reaches 10 to 13 ft (3 to 4 m) with an upright, thorny habit, aromatic evergreen foliage, and highly fragrant white flowers. Its yellow-green fruits at full maturity, medium-sized, with thick, bumpy skin, ripen in winter and hold a very sour, fragrant juice reminiscent of a natural cross between lemon and bitter orange, with unique resinous notes. Traditionally used in Taiwan in cooking, vinegar, marinade, and traditional medicine. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata, plant against a south wall.

A young leafy citrus plant in a dark nursery pot

Citrandarin US-852

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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.

A ridged green citrus fruit against a dark background

Ichang Papeda x IVIA

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The Ichang Papeda x IVIA (Citrus ichangensis × papeda ‘IVIA’) is a hybrid between the Chinese Ichang papeda and an Asian papeda, selected by the IVIA institute in Valencia, Spain, to combine maximum hardiness with disease resistance. Its hardiness reaches 5°F (−15°C) on the tree, among the hardiest edible citrus in the world, making it suitable for planting in the ground in USDA zone 7b. The vigorous tree grows 10 to 13 ft (3 to 4 m) tall with an upright, thorny habit, aromatic evergreen foliage characteristic of papedas (large winged petiole) and fragrant white flowers. Its yellow, round, bumpy, medium-sized fruits, with thick skin, ripen in winter, with January to February as the harvest benchmark used in this entry, and concentrate a sour juice with unique aromas blending lemon, mandarin and resinous notes. Used mostly for zest and in niche cooking. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata.

Whole and halved rough-skinned yellow citrus fruit

Corsican Yuzu

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The Corsican Yuzu (Citrus junos ‘Corse’) is a French selection from the INRAE San Giuliano program in Corsica, which has been acclimating and improving the Japanese yuzu since the 1980s. Its hardiness reaches 9°F (−13°C) on the tree and allows it to be grown in the ground in USDA zones 7b and 8a. The tree grows 7 to 13 ft (2 to 4 m) tall with a spreading rounded habit, aromatic evergreen foliage and very fragrant white flowers. Its golden yellow, round, bumpy fruits, with thick, rough skin, ripen in October and November and concentrate authentic yuzu juice with aromas blending mandarin, grapefruit and orange blossom. Very sour and fragrant. Excellent as zest, as juice, in ponzu vinegar and in pastry. A French pride in yuzu acclimatization, to be preferred over imported yuzu. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata.

White citrus blossoms on leafy branches near a greenhouse

Trifeola Monofolie

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The Trifeola Monofolie (Poncirus trifoliata × Citrus × tangelo ‘Minneola’) is a remarkable hybrid between Poncirus trifoliata and the Minneola tangelo, created to combine the maximum hardiness of Poncirus with the flavor quality of the tangelo. 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 about 10 ft (3 m) tall with an upright, semi-thorny habit, semi-evergreen foliage with the leaflets characteristic of Poncirus, sometimes single-leaflet, hence the name, and white spring flowers. Its medium-sized fruits, with a thick, bitter skin unfit for eating out of hand, ripen in November and give a tart, very fragrant juice that can replace lime or lemon in cooking. A niche variety for collectors of hardy hybrids. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata, plant against a south wall, in well-drained soil.

White and pink citrus blossoms among green leaves

Ichanglemon

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The Ichanglemon (Citrus wilsonii) is a wild Chinese citrus, an ancient natural hybrid between the Ichang papeda and a primitive lemon, native to the mountains of southwestern China. Its hardiness is reported at 5°F (−15°C) for a well-established adult tree, among the hardiest edible citrus, making it suitable for planting in the ground in USDA zones 7b and 8a. The vigorous tree grows 10 to 16 ft (3 to 5 m) tall with an upright, thorny habit, evergreen foliage with the large winged petiole inherited from the papeda parent, and fragrant white spring flowers. Its yellow, round, bumpy, medium to large fruits (7 to 12 oz, or 200 to 350 g), with thick, rough skin, ripen in winter and give a very fragrant, aromatic sour juice recalling a wild lemon with grapefruit notes. Traditionally used in Chinese and Tibetan cooking. Graft onto Poncirus trifoliata.

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.

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