Let me introduce my citrus first: 1-A variagated lemon, potted, that I have nothing but trouble out of. 2-What I believe to be a Meyer lemon, potted, that I like but am afraid to plant in the ground in Central TX(Should I?) 3- A Lemonquat, in ground. This is it's first year in the ground(held up well to 2+ days worth of being ice covered) but may be it's last as the fruit was disgusting~like a bad lolipop. So--
I did a little more research on cold hardy citrus, esp lemons, and think I would like to try an Ichang Lemon. I can find it online, bit this does me no good here in Texas. Any ideas on a local supplier?

If you don't like lemonquat/sunquat, you won't like ichang lemon as it is sour without a lot of lemon flavor. I have a sunquat in a pot as I don't want more than a dozen fruit a year/like it as an ornamental only. The only way you will get an ichang lemon in Texas legally is by grafting it yourself as I have never seen one for sale in a nursery as it is too obscure and you will have to find someone with an ichang tree. I used to have one until I tasted the fruit and grafted something that tastes better to it. Meyer lemon won't last the first winter in Central Texas in the ground. Best bet for you IMHO in your location of an edible citrus would be a satsuma(seedless and available easily) or changsha mandarin(mouth full of seeds and hard to find for sale) on flying dragon trifoliate orange rootstock. Get the satsuma from Acorn Springs Nursery in Texas. If you want your tree to live long term you will have to protect it for any freeze below 20F or any freeze lasting longer than 4 hours. IMHO the lowest amount of work to protect a citrus tree for someone in Central Texas would be to build a greenhouse like the one in the picture:(you will have to cover/heat probably a dozen times or more a winter). Covering/uncovering citrus trees is a pain as you have to cover at night and uncover in the day and you may as well make it easier on yourself. Another consideration for you location is whether your soil is limestone. Citrus hates limestone soil and you would have to have a raised bed with a pH of around 6. All this said, you may still find it worthwhile to have a citrus tree for the wow! factor. I live in Beaumont and have 25 trees in the ground. The biggest danger to your citrus tree will be a warm spell of 70-80F for a week like we often have in Texas followed by a blue norther that brings any kind of freeze.
Mature pink grapefruit on flying dragon rootstock

My sunquat

Just wanted to verify, the Ichang I want is c. ichangensis x maxima
NOT the papeda.
Sour is acceptable, even prefered, that is why I was looking more to the cold hardy lemons than oranges. If anyone has or knows a TX source for this or anything similar, PLEASE let me know.

About my lemonquat: It was purchased at HomeDepot, and 2006 was it's first year, planted early summer. I only got 1 fruit off of it, Not sour at all-the only way I kow to describe it is like a bad imitation lemon flavor. With a hint of something else-that I can't describe. But the sub-flavor is the same thing I smell in the leaves when crushed((I also noticed this with my variegated lemon-that a sub-flavor I tasted and didn't like was the same as what I smell in the leaves)).
Q: Is this typical of citrus? Do you think it will taste any better yr2? But I don't really see how. Any input appreciated.

I'm not sure what part of central Texas you live in (big area), but there used to be a couple ichang trees vicinity Fort Hood. They are on private property, but if they are still alive, the owner might actually appreciate their removal. In my opinion, they were attractive trees and I never witnessed any winter burn (they were unprotected on a SW hill) but are almost inedible.

There is a nursery in SE San Antonio (Fannicks ?) that may still carry Changsha (perhaps even some other hardy varieties) and there is a great nursery in Austin (Barton Springs) that might be able to get that stuff for you.

Satsuma will be the most "orange like" of the varieties you could attempt, but in my opinion it is impractical to protect in most of the hill country. Biggest benefit to satsuma is that it is seedless (but taste in fruit is very subjective). If you build a greenhouse with a heater then you can grow whatever you like (but a grocery store is cheaper). If you get a non hardy plant, it is probably best to get it on poncirus root stock from Mr Texas or one of his sources as they appear to go dormant longer.

I expect that you can find seed sources for almost any variety of citrus w/o leaving TX. As you know, you can not import plants, bud wood or seeds unless rules have changed.

Hope this helps. /bob

Thanks for the feedback. Just an update-I no longer have the variegated lemon, too many problems. I also decided to keep growing my lemonquat since it survived the winter so well(No burn and probably only dropped 5 leaves). My meyer lemon was actually mis-labelled, which I now to believe to be calamondin. I will leave that one in a pot, and purchased another calamondin to put in the ground. I know I will have to provide some winter protection, but I don't think much, because the one in the pot only came in the garage 4 or 5 nights. I also decided to try Yuzu, but was only able to find a seed source--but I have one sprouted already! So if I do find an Ichang Lemon (Not Papeda) I may still consider it. I do live closer to the Austin area, and get to SanAntonio every now and then, so I'm just going to keep my eyes open.