Plant Library

Other Names:  Mini Mandarin, Tiny Tangerine, Cherry Orange

Description:

A dwarf selection bearing small, sweet, deep orange-red fruit that are seedless and easy to peel; spring flowers are showy and fragrant; a great container plant for the patio, or accent for the garden; bring indoors in colder climates

Edible Qualities

Kishu Mandarin is a small shrub that is commonly grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. It produces tiny orange fruit with red overtones and orange flesh which are usually ready for picking from late fall to early winter. The seedlessfruits have a sweet taste and a juicy texture.

The fruit are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Cooking
• Baking
• Preserves
• Juice-Making
• Sauces

Features & Attributes

Kishu Mandarin features showy clusters of fragrant white star-shaped flowers at the ends of the branches from early to mid spring. It has dark green evergreen foliage. The small glossy oval leaves remain dark green throughout the winter. It features an abundance of magnificent orange berries with red overtones from late summer to early winter.

This is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spiny

Aside from its primary use as an edible, Kishu Mandarin is sutiable for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• General Garden Use
• Orchard/Edible Landscaping
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Kishu Mandarin will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It has a low canopy. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more.

This shrub is quite ornamental as well as edible, and is as much at home in a landscape or flower garden as it is in a designated edibles garden. It does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Kishu Mandarin is a good choice for the edible garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.