Citrus (Calamondin, Citron, Grapefruit, Kumquat, Lemon, Lime, Mandarin, Orange, and Pomelo)
Citrus species and Fortunella species (RUTACEAE)
Planting and Growing Citrus and Fortunella
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow citrus (calamondin, citron, grapefruit, kumquat, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, and pomelo) in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, fruit, seeds or nuts of citrus (calamondin, citron, grapefruit, kumquat, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, and pomelo)
- Growing conditions for citrus (calamondin, citron, grapefruit, kumquat, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, and pomelo)
- When to plant citrus (calamondin, citron, grapefruit, kumquat, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, and pomelo)
- How to plant citrus (calamondin, citron, grapefruit, kumquat, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, and pomelo)
- How to prune citrus (calamondin, citron, grapefruit, kumquat, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, and pomelo)
- Watering, fertilizing, and care of citrus (calamondin, citron, grapefruit, kumquat, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, and pomelo)
- Landscape uses of citrus (calamondin, citron, grapefruit, kumquat, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, and pomelo)
- Pest and disease control for citrus (calamondin, citron, grapefruit, kumquat, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, and pomelo)
Growing Citrus and Fortunella Trees
Sixteen species of slow-growing, branching, round-headed, fruiting, evergreen shrubs and trees, to over 30 ft. (9 m) tall, often armed with sharp spines, and with smooth, shiny, deep green, oval, pointed leaves, to 4 in. (10 cm) long. Dwarf cultivars available.
Citrus and Fortunella Planting and Care Guide
Flowers and Fruit
Many very fragrant, pink, purple, white, star-shaped flowers, 1–2 in. (25–50 mm) wide, in spring or year-round, depending on species and cultivar, form edible and inedible segmented, juicy fruit, in late autumn–winter.
Best Climates
U.S.D.A. Plant Hardiness Zones 8–11. Tender. Best in mild-winter, hot-summer climates. Sweet-fruited citrus require high summer temperatures, mild or warm winters.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained humus. Fertility: Rich. 6.0–6.5 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Full sun. Space full-sized cultivars 8–15 ft. (2.4–4.5 m) apart, dwarf cultivars 3–6 ft. (90–180 cm) apart.
Proper Care
Moderate. Keep moist; allow soil surface to dry between waterings. Reduce waterings in winter. Fertilize every 2 months with acid organic fertilizer containing micronutrients: calcium, iron, manganese, zinc. Pollinate using an artist’s brush. Mulch. Avoid pruning, thinning. Pinch blooms and remove fruit to increase vigor, fruit size. Propagate by cuttings, grafting, seed.
About This Species
Good choice for accents, barriers, containers, hedges, screens in arid, Mediterranean, orchard gardens. Good for fruit. Attracts bees. Aphid, mealybug, spider mite, scale and chlorosis susceptible.
Common Varieties and Cultivars of Citrus
Citrus Species:
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- Citrus aurantium, sour orange
- Citrus baurantifolia, lime
- Citrus limon, lemon
- Citrus X limona, lemandarin
- Citrus maxima, pomelo
- Citrus medica, citron
- Citrus X nobilis, tangor
- Citrus X paradisi, grapefruit
- Citrus reticulata, Mandarin orange
- Citrus sinensis, sweet orange
- Citrus tachibana, Tachibana orange
- Citrus X tangelo, tangelo
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Fortunella Species:
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- Fortunella crassifolia, Meiwa kumquat
- Fortunella japonica, Marumi kumquat
- Fortunella naqgami, Spanish kumquat
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About Citrus and Fortunella Trees
Sixteen species of small or midsized, round-crowned, broad-leaved, evergreen trees are included in the Citrus genus and its close relative, Fortunella.
Citrus are native to Southeast Asia but have become naturalized in other regions. They are tender and do best in mild-winter climates with hot, dry summers.
Calamondin, citron, grapefruit, kumquat, sweet and sour lemon, lime, loquat, mandarin, blood orange, both sweet and sour orange, pomelo, tangor, tangelo, and tangerine make up the many citrus. In addition, many cross-hybrid forms exist.
Citrus are slow-growing, long-lived, compact trees that range in size from 6 ft. (1.8 m) tall for dwarf varieties to 30 ft. (12 m) or more for full-sized cultivars. They flower year-round and set fruit that mostly ripens in autumn or early winter.
They are susceptible to many pests and diseases, which affect their flowers, foliage, and fruit, and to manganese, iron, and zinc deficiencies. A non-native pest, Asian citrus psyllid, is now endemic throughout most citrus-growing areas of the world; the pest is a vector carrier of fatal Hulonglongbing disease, or “citrus greening,” from infected trees to healthy ones. Many growing regions quarantine citrus trees to limit the spread of pests and diseases or to prevent transport of plants carrying them beyond infested and infected areas.
Choose from among the popularly cultivated species above.
Planting and Caring for Citrus Trees
Citrus and kumquats are upright or shrublike, broad-leaved evergreens that make great landscape trees with a bonus of tasty fruit. When mature, they have single trunks with a round crown filled with clusters of white, star-shaped, very fragrant flowers and colorful fruit. They need sustained high temperatures to set and ripen edible fruit.
Plant citrus in moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil that is acidic. Since all trees perform best when they are planted in unamended soil, test the balance of your site prior to planting. Citrus require soils that are in the 6.0–6.5 pH range.
When you plant, note the soil line on your tree’s trunk and dig the hole 1–2 in. (25–50 mm) shallower. Citrus do best with good drainage. Backfill around the rootball with native soil, mound soil to make a basin, and give the tree ample water through its first season, watering whenever the soil surface becomes dry.
Citrus provide color and visual interest for those with gardens in mild-winter or subtropical climates. If you garden in a mild-summer climate, use citrus as landscape trees. Caring for them includes feeding every other month with a fertilizer formulated specifically for citrus. Such fertilizers contain buffering agents to increase acidity and trace nutrients needed to avoid chlorosis and other mineral deficiencies. Always water deeply after you apply fertilizer to your citrus or kumquat trees.