Mandarin

Tree facts

Scientific name

Citrus reticulata

Origin

Southern China and Southeast Asia

Tree size

8–20 ft depending on cultivar; satsumas stay small

Growth rate

Medium

Sun

Full sun, at least 6–8 hours

Soil

Any soil that drains well, including sand. Never waterlogged; plant high where water stands.

Soil pH

6.0–7.5

Pollination

Most are self-fertile. Some hybrids, such as Sunburst, need another citrus blooming nearby for a good crop.

Cold hardiness

Dormant satsumas take about 20°F; most other mandarins are hurt in the mid-20s

USDA zones

9–11 (satsumas into 8b)

Years to first fruit

2–3 for a grafted tree

Season

Oct–Mar

Water

About every 7 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young

Feeding

About every 60 days, Feb–Oct

Pruning

Mar–Apr

Taste

Sweet, often with a bright tang; less acidic than most oranges

Nutrition

High in vitamin C, with beta-cryptoxanthin (a vitamin A source) and fiber

Is mandarin safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts

What you can eat

• Segments, fresh
• Juice
• Zest and dried peel, used in baking and in Chinese cooking (chenpi)

Toxic parts and cautions

• Good to know: Citrus juice or peel oil left on the skin in strong sun can cause a burn-like rash that darkens the skin for weeks (phytophotodermatitis). Wash your hands after peeling or squeezing fruit outdoors.
• Good to know: Plain mandarins don't share grapefruit's drug interactions, but some tangelos and other grapefruit or pomelo hybrids may. If your medicine warns against grapefruit, ask a pharmacist about hybrids.

Pets: The peel, leaves and seeds contain essential oils (limonene, linalool) and psoralens that can cause vomiting, drooling and skin irritation in dogs and cats. A bite of the flesh is usually harmless.

How to eat and enjoy mandarin

• Fresh, peeled and eaten out of hand
• Salads, especially with greens and nuts
• Juice, sorbet and granita
• Marmalade and candied peel
• Dried peel in Chinese soups and braises
• A traditional gift for luck at Lunar New Year

Mandarin varieties (9)

• Clementine

  A small, deep orange, mostly seedless mandarin, one of the fruits sold under the Cuties and Halos brands.

  Origin: Algeria, around 1900 · Taste: Sweet, rich, slightly tart · Season: Nov–Jan · Size: Small

  Grown alone it's nearly seedless but crops can be light; a pollinizer raises the yield and the seed count.

• Dancy

  The old Southern Christmas tangerine: deep red-orange, loose-skinned and full of flavor, but seedy.

  Origin: Florida, 1860s · Taste: Rich, sweet-tart · Season: Dec–Jan · Size: Small to medium

  Tends to bear heavily every other year.

• Gold Nugget

  A late, seedless mandarin with bumpy skin and rich, sweet flavor.

  Origin: California (UC Riverside), 1999 · Taste: Rich, sweet · Season: Feb–May · Size: Medium

  Holds its quality on the tree well into spring.

• Kishu

  A tiny, seedless, very easy-peeling mandarin that children love.

  Origin: China, long grown in Japan · Taste: Sweet and tangy · Season: Nov–Jan · Size: Very small, about golf-ball size

  Good in pots.

• Murcott · also Honey tangerine, Honey Murcott

  A late mandarin-orange hybrid sold in Florida as the honey tangerine, with very sweet, juicy flesh.

  Origin: Florida, early 1900s · Taste: Very sweet, juicy · Season: Jan–Mar · Size: Medium

  Seedy. A heavy crop can exhaust the tree, so thin fruit in big years.

• Owari Satsuma · also Owari, Satsuma

  The standard satsuma: seedless, sweet and very easy to peel, ripening early in the fall.

  Origin: Japan · Taste: Sweet, mild, low acid · Season: Oct–Dec · Size: Medium

  Takes about 20°F when dormant. Pick promptly; the fruit puffs if left hanging.

• Ponkan · also Chinese honey mandarin

  One of the most widely grown mandarins in Asia: large, sweet and very easy to peel.

  Origin: Southern China · Taste: Sweet, low acid, aromatic · Season: Nov–Jan · Size: Large

  Upright tree; less cold-hardy than satsumas.

• Shiranui · also Dekopon, Sumo, Sumo Citrus

  A large, bumpy mandarin hybrid with a knob at the stem, sold in the US as Sumo Citrus. Seedless, very sweet and easy to peel.

  Origin: Japan, 1970s · Taste: Very sweet, low acid, juicy · Season: Jan–Mar · Size: Large

  The peel bruises and scars easily, so handle it gently.

• Sunburst

  A bright orange, easy-peeling Florida hybrid that ripens for the holidays.

  Origin: Florida (USDA), 1979 · Taste: Sweet, mild · Season: Nov–Dec · Size: Medium

  Needs another citrus that blooms at the same time nearby to set a good crop.

Pests and diseases to watch for

• Whiteflies

  Clouds of tiny white flies when a branch is shaken; yellowing leaves and sooty mold.

  What to do: Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil on leaf undersides.

• Citrus greening (HLB)

  Blotchy, uneven yellowing that isn't the same on both halves of a leaf; small, lopsided, bitter fruit that stays green at the bottom; twig dieback.

  What to do: There's no cure. Keep the tree well fed with a complete citrus fertilizer and micronutrients to slow decline.

  A regulated disease in Florida, Texas, California and elsewhere. If you suspect it, contact your county extension office or the state agriculture department.

• Citrus canker

  Raised, corky brown spots with a yellow halo on leaves, twigs and fruit; fruit may drop early.

  What to do: Copper sprays protect new growth and young fruit.

  Regulated in several states. Report suspected cases to your extension office.

• Citrus leafminer

  Silvery, winding tunnels in young leaves, which curl and twist.

  What to do: Mostly cosmetic on mature trees; leave them be.

• Phytophthora root rot

  Small, pale, wilting leaves, thin canopy and branch dieback; roots are black and brittle instead of white.

  What to do: Water less and improve drainage.

• Scale insects

  Small bumps, waxy or shell-like, on stems and leaf veins; sticky honeydew and black sooty mold below.

  What to do: Scrub small colonies off with a soft brush.