The
first citrus I ever tried to grow as a child was a calamondin brought back from
Florida by my grandparents. I thought that it was a miniature orange and
was thrilled when it produced even a couple of fruit indoors in Rhode
Island. Since then, I have expanded my citrus knowledge, but still like
the little charmer also known as the calamondin orange, Chinese orange, Panama
orange, golden lime or the scarlet lime. Both edible and
ornamental, the calamondin is hardy, well-adapted to both the landscape
and container culture, has wonderful fragrant white flowers in season and
produces truly abundant fruit. To see a calamondin in full fruit or
flower (or even both at the same time) is a treat that reemphasizes the value
of such a tree in your yard.
As
far as I understand, the calamondin is a hybrid resulting from a cross of a
mandarin and a kumquat. Originating in China, and later traveling to
Indonesia and the Philippines, the calamondin was brought to Florida in
1899 and has since become very popular as a bushy, dense evergreen
ornamental. One of the hardiness citrus trees, calamondin can tolerate
temperatures down to twenty degrees F. Growing about a foot a year to no
more than twenty feet tall, this small-fruited citrus can begin to produce
fruit in as early as two years.
The
fruit, which is small, bright orange in color, and one and one-half
inches in diameter, can take almost a year to fully ripen. The peel of
the fruit can actually taste sweet and is edible. The pulp is very acid
and the flavor reminds me of a mix of tangerine and lime – just very,
very tart! This tartness makes calamondin fruit work well as a lime
substitute for making refreshing beverages, pies, cakes, marmalades, preserves
and sauces. Some people may even use the cut fruits to liven-up iced tea
or seafood. Harvest fruit as it is just beginning to show some color as
overripe fruit is soft and less flavorful. Clip the fruit off the tree
with scissors as otherwise the thin peel will rip at the stem end and the fruit
will not keep as well.
Grow
your calamondin in a full sun location with good drainage. Calamondin
trees grow very upright and are almost naturally columnar in shape. They
will flower and fruit year round with a spring flush producing an abundance of
fruit. The white flowers are intensely fragrant and will permeate your
yard with that classic citrus blossom scent.
In
addition to the normal green-leaved variety, there is a variegated form which
adds another attractive dimension to this classic plant. For more
information on this and other citrus, please call our Master Gardener
volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4
pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension
volunteer. Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the
area. Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates
and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.
Resources:
King,
M. & Oswald, M. J. Florida Food Fare – Calamondin. The University of
Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Sarasota County.
McEachern,
G. R. (2004) Calamondin – The Most Versatile Citrus. Texas A&M
University.
Christman,
S. (2006) Citrofortunella microcarpa. Floridata: Tallahassee,
FL.
Morton,
J. (1987) Calamondin. P. 176-178. Fruits of warm climates. Miami, FL. via
Purdue University.
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