Can anyone make a list of common citrus cultivars that are true from seed as to take some of the guess work out for those of us newcomers?
-Smiley

I have been out of the loop for a while and in catching up on this site I came upon your question about citrus seedlings.

I am not an expert by any means and have only become interested in citrus since retirement. I am a sixth generation Floridian and grew up mostly in Duval and St. Johns Counties (in the NE corner Florida). As a youth, I had occasion to visit the sites of old homesteads of my relatives, and they almost always had seedling citrus trees, probably planted in the 1800's.These trees had lived through severe cold weather during their existence. Undoubtedly, they were sheltered by large Liveoak trees that were situated East and West to provide shade to the dwelling. Some of the trees were sweet, some sour and some had no taste at all. Most were very thorny. I found a sweet Kumquat tree growing on property inherited from my Mother's family only last week. The tree was about twenty feet tall and and loaded with sweet fruit.

It has been my observation that MOST cultivar seedlings citrus will bear fruit EVENTUALLY. As my late father used to put it: "That's a young man's game...do you think you're going to live long enough to see fruit on it?"

But that doesn't answer your question does it?

Grapefruit will bear in about eight to ten years. "Duncan" is a heavily seeded variety which will grow true from its seed...it is basically the grapefruit that was planted in the Tampa Bay area in the early 1800's. I don't imagine many supermarkets would or could sell the "Duncan" anymore.

Most of the tangerines will grow into thorny trees but sweet fruit in about eight years.

Any "Hamilin" orange will eventually bear fruit, but it is 60-40 chance of being sour.

The quickest and best bet would be a "Chang Sha" tangerine. It will bear in about three to five years and will make a dwarf tree, suitable for growing in a pot! It is also quite cold-hardy. The fruit will vary in flavor but it makes a beautiful reddish orange fruit, easy to peel.

You may have had your answer already, but a Chang Sha tangerine seems to be What you are looking for.


sincerely

Tom Loeb

thank you for your reply, no no one else had responded to this thread but that's some good information, thanks again.

Just about all sweet oranges, true grapefruit, true mandarins except clementines and King, limes, lemons, almost all tangelos, tangors except Temple, and hybrid tangerines will come true from seed. Pummelos do not produce true from seed. - Millet

Heres a quick example. Most all Mono-Embryonic citrus will not come true from seed with the exception being the Yuzu. Most all Poly-Embryonic citrus will come true or very near it from seed.

wonderful information, thank you all. now as soon as i have some space free i might try growing some other stuff from seed.

I have started several satsumas from seed. All have been excellent. In my opinion they are much better quality than Chang-Sha. I was growing chang sha in the late 60s and have found satsumas to be mush better with few or no seed.