Tom's Hardy Citrus

Changsha Mandarin - Cold Hardy and Sweet Changsha mandarin is an old Chinese mandarin that has a long history in the South. It is a fairly common dooryard citrus, especially along the Gulf coast, and qualifies as both an heirloom plant and a "passalong" plant. Passalong plants are those that were commonly propagated and "passed along" neighbor to neighbor in the South before large nurseries and big box stores were common. Changsha made a great passalong plant because it grows easily from seed and can grow well on its own roots. Although Changsha, like many citrus, is polyembryonic and produces seedlings that are mostly identical to the parent, small variations in seedlings produced a class of citrus rather than a single type. So it's not unusual to find dooryard Changsha mandarins that vary somewhat in taste and habit - some trees are strongly upright (which is the type), others weep much like Satsuma; some produce fruit that can be dry and bland, others pr

  Ichang Lemon: A Hardy, Beautiful, and Useful Citrus Ichang lemon is an ancient Chinese cultivar that has the advantage of being one of the earlier ripening cold-hardy citrus. Although its true origins are shrouded in mystery, it is thought that Ichang lemon is a hybrid between mainstream citrus (probably a type of pomelo) and a citrus species ( Citrus ichangensis) that is native to central China. There are many old hybrids involving C. ichangensis, although recent genetic research has indicated that while C. ichangensis may be involved, it is not a direct ancestor of the Ichang lemon. In any case, the cold-hardiness of Ichang lemon was recognized by early citrus explorers, and t he Ichang lemon has been grown in the Southeast for about 100 years, proving itself hardy at least to 10F and possibly lower. The tree is large (20 feet or more on the Lower Piedmont) with dark green, glossy leaves reminiscent of a grapefruit. The leaves have a large winged petiole, characteristic of hyb

Keraji Mandarin Texas Lemonade Tree Keraji mandarin exemplifies how much fun citrus can be. This little mandarin is rarely found in nurseries, and the fruit never featured in stores. It's a little obscure, particularly here in Georgia. But everyone who tries a Keraji fruit inevitably asks where they can get a tree. Keraji mandarin produces a small, yellow "tangerine" that peels as easily as any citrus in that category. Its small size and ease of peel removal makes it perfect for children, who love the lemonade candy taste. In Texas, Keraji is also called the "Lemonade tangerine," because it tastes just like it. Once a tree starts producing, it will produce prodigious quantities of fruits every year - so many that fruit will hang on the tree for months. The fruit taste great for a long, long time, and unless frozen off, will remain in good condition on the tree almost until the next bloom cycle. Fruit vary in seediness, probably in response to the availabi

Thomasville Citrangequat - Best All-Around Hardy Citrus?  In late 1993, I visited what is now the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens for the first time. At that time it was called simply "The Bamboo Farm." While the Bamboo Farm was well known in Savannah, it was still pretty remote and largely undeveloped. The garden occupies the site of a former USDA research station (1919-1979), and during that time, many rare and experimental plants were planted there, including many types of Bamboo, Asian oaks, a now-record Formosan Sweetgum ( Liquidambar formosana ) - and one unusual citrus.

 Several years ago I started a Facebook page called "McClendon Citrus," where I chronicled my (mis)adventures with hardy citrus in Zone 8a, Georgia.  I have been growing citrus since 1994, and authored a small book published in 2004 called Hardy Citrus for the Southeast .  I have been trying and toying with the idea of updating it, but in the meantime, I have been looking for a way to organize my posts on social media in a more permanent fashion.  So here we are. Of course, there are quite a few "hardy citrus" web sites and message boards on the Internet, and many of them are very good, but there is nothing like knowing your own locale.  Growing citrus in my location is different from growing citrus just about anywhere else, and while my experience may have application elsewhere - and I hope it does - every place is unique. I hope you enjoy!