If you are eager for mature citrus fruit , the calamondin (X Citrofortunella microcarpa) is not the shrub to plant. It’s a comparatively new fruit tree, caused by crossing a mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata) with a kumquat (Fortunella margarita). The fruit is fairly much sour, and it takes a very long time to ripen.
Cold Hardy Citrus
Calamondins are increased more for their allure than for fruit. The trees are small, rising to a maximum of 10 to 20 ft. They are evergreen, as well as their distributing crowns are packed with 4-inch leaves. One of the best citrus for chilly climates, calamondin is cold hardy to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. It thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 11 while parent plants mandarin orange and kumquat grow in zones 9 through 11 and 9 through 10, respectively.
Dainty Flowers, Sour Fruit
Spring fills the calamondin shrub with fragrant blossoms, each featuring five, snowy white sands with a beautiful fragrance. Flowers continue to get there in smaller amounts throughout the year. The fruit appears on the tree at precisely the exact same time as the blossoms in springtime. Each looks like a very small orange, a few 1 to 2 inches in diameter. The fruit is better described as darling than delicious, since even at its ripest, it is extremely sour.
Harvesting Calamondin
Patience is necessary if you plant calamondins, since the veggies hang on the tree for months before they are mature. It’s not strange for calamondins to take a full year . This makes the tree a highly appealing decorative but is tough to those awaiting mature fruit. When you see the fruit begin to turn orange, you will know the end is in sight. But don’t wait till the fruit is soft or fully orange to pick it. Select firm fruit that is starting to turn from yellow to orange.
Utilizing Calamondin Fruit
Calamondins are smaller compared to typical lemon and their skins are thinner. Use kitchen scissors to clip ripe specimens off the tree to prevent ripping the stem ends. Once the fruit is chosen, use it rapidly. Calamondins taste best once you eat them within a week after leaving the shrub. The fruit is very sour and lots of gardeners prefer to use its juice for a flavoring, like lime and lemon juice.