Citrus Species, Japanese Hardy Orange, Bitter Orange

On May 3, 2014, coriaceous from ROSLINDALE, MA wrote:

An easy, exotic-looking shrub/tree. The 3" green thorns are vicious but ornamental year round. Flowers, foliage, and fruit are all attractive. In the south, this can become a small tree to 25'.

The fruits are packed with seeds, leaving little room for pulp. But I suppose the rind is what makes good marmalade.

Best in full sun, but it tolerates light shade. In the south, this is often a tree of woodland edges and understory.

I don't see winter dieback here in Boston Z6a, and suspect that it's hardy into Z5, as some sources state. The plants I see here don't seem to get over about 8' tall.

In the southeastern US, this has naturalized locally from east Texas and Arkansas to Pennsylvania and Florida, and it's been declared ecologicall... read morey invasive by Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.

On Nov 25, 2012, imax71 from Underwood-Petersville, AL wrote:

I have had my plant for about 12 years now. Last year was the first year it had little flowers on it. This year it produced the little bitter oranges. You have to have patience, I didn't think the little "oranges" would ever grow.
It is a tough plant also. I have moved the plant 3-4 times and it just keeps on growing.

On Feb 23, 2012, farmgirl3 from Saxon, SC wrote:

I found this plant growing in an old 1700's homestead - log cabin and everything, deep in the woods here in upstate SC. There were several large shrubs about 10 ft tall with seedlings all around the bottoms. I dug several seedlings and transplanted them to an area of my yard that I had had trouble with children coming through to play on our dock. In no time i had an impenetrable hedge. I also took several of the exquisitely perfumed fruit and dried them for use in a fall potpourri mix. At the old homestead where I had gathered my treasures, the only invasiveness I saw was the seedlings under the parent shrubs. I walked a couple of more miles in these woods and saw no more hardy orange trees which makes me think they are not THAT invasive around here. Perhaps these settlers planted these as... read more a living fence...or maybe they are not that old as the very last people living in that homestead were there in the 1930's. I found several unique plants around that log cabin...some type of beautiberry looking plant, a dwarf looking prickly pear with no thorns, and some type of apple.

On Dec 30, 2010, waltseed wrote:

I collect some fruit from under a hardy orange tree in Wichita, Kansas this fall. The tree, actually a shrub, about 8 feet tall and a little wider. I live 100 miles further north, on the border of zones 5-6, so I don't know it they will survive winters here. But doing so well where they were, I think there is a good chance of them surviving here. There is no significant change in altitude.
My goal is to cross these with some of the hybrids of the hardy orange and better flavered citris. Many such F1 hybrids exist but are said not to be as hardy, and not particularly good flavored.

On Jan 24, 2009, wehrlebird from Atlanta, GA wrote:

I live in Atlanta, Ga, and have worked as a land surveyor since 1993. I have seen this plant growing wild all over the Atlanta area. I don't see it very often, but when I do, it is always growing in the woods, and I assumed it was a native plant.

I have some property about an hour East of Atlanta, and 2 years ago I discovered it growing fairly widely in the woods there. In all cases but one, I have seen it growing only as a single small shrub. However, one huge plant has many tiny offspring growing below it, but nothing impenetrable like a black berry thicket. The fruit here is sour, but also sort of semi sweet and perfumey. This year, I gathered the fruit and made a very tasty "lemonade" as did another commenter, as well as using it on fish. Next year I think I'll tr... read morey something like "lemon meringue pie" or "lemon squares". I have also read that it makes a very good marmalade.

The previous commenter was right about there being something gummy or slippery in the peel or pith though.

I have read that in the UK, they make hedges with it. Perhaps its vicious thorns deters animals.

On Jan 4, 2006, Phrederica_VA from Montpelier, VA wrote:

I have actually taken the time to juice some of the little fruits. It is a royal pain, but the juice was delicious when made into a "lemonade". It tasted like a cross between lemon and grapefruit. There's something gummy in the peel that makes a huge mess of juicers and knives, though.

My trees are over 10' tall and are growing at over 12" per year still, so I'm not sure how tall they'll get in my central Virginia area. I love this plant. Yes, the thorns are evil, but the overall shape is nice and with the very pretty bark, and the beauty of the thorns, it's a lovely small tree even in winter. I have pruned off some of the lower branches each winter to make a tree shape; otherwise you'll have a bush. The foliage is also beautiful, tri-leaved and shiny. I get a few se... read moreedlings every year as volunteers, so if you want to propogate it, at least in my area, just dig up a few and transplant them. I originally got this plant from my mother-in-law, who got it from her father, who got it from a Chinese embassy representative in the early 1900's. It was very rare at that time. The only problem that I've had is that this year, from three trees about 10 years old, I had about three 5-gallon buckets of fruit to clean up!

Regarding the invasive nature of this plant: I have no problems in Virginia with it. I have had mine for 15 years now (I'm updating my previous entry). I get many seedlings right below the tree which are quite manageable since they're in a small area. However, I have seen no signs of any wildlife in my area eating the fruits, nor have I found any seedlings anywhere that were unexpected. I am also concerned about invasive non-natives and am waging war on two fronts against Vinca minor and Creeping Charlie, so I understand the other person's concern.

On Aug 27, 2004, 1115rs from Pittstown, NJ wrote:

I am a Landscaper. A customer has one of these plants. 7-8feet tall 4 feet in diameter. It is in Bridgewater, NJ. One of its wicked thorns went right through my finger and then came back out without breaking off. We need to market these plant I notice that the Deer do not go near it. The fruit tastes terrible. Thats all.

On Mar 4, 2004, Bairie from Corpus Christi, TX (Zone 10a) wrote:

There are many sour (or bitter) orange trees in Corpus Christi in people's yards. Most of these are results of a hard freeze about 18 years ago that froze grafted orange trees to the ground, and the sour orange trees came up from the rootstock. They are not grown commercially here as they are in some places (such as in subtropical Lower Rio Grande Valley where nurseries grow them for rootstock). Sour orange trees are easily grown from seeds. Seeds should be taken from slightly overripe fruit, cleaned and dried, then planted in a pot in early spring. They are evergreen and in warm climates do well outside.

Search the internet for "sour orange" + recipes and you will find recipes for marmalade, marinades, and desserts. Leaves and flowers can be used to make tea.