Plant Library

Other Names:  Mandarin, Citrus reticulata

Description:

An attractive rounded shrub or small tree that bears small, reddish-orange fruit in fall, contrasting the deep green glossy foliage; blooms heavily in spring; a nice landscape planting as a hedge or screen; great container plant for the patio

Edible Qualities

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

The fruit are most often used in the following ways:

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

Features & Attributes

Tangerine features showy clusters of fragrant white star-shaped flowers at the ends of the branches from late winter to mid spring. It has dark green foliage with light green undersides. The glossy oval leaves remain dark green throughout the winter. It features an abundance of magnificent orange berries with red overtones from late fall to late winter. The fruit can be messy if allowed to drop on the lawn or walkways, and may require occasional clean-up.

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 plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, 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;

• Insects
• Disease

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

• Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• Orchard/Edible Landscaping
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Tangerine will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. 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 prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. 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 species is not originally from North America.

Tangerine is a good choice for the edible garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base 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.