I have what was labeled a Satsuma Mandarin. It is 3 years old from purchase. Last year it produced about 10 fruit of normal tangerine size.

This year I had 18 fruit as big as a normal size grapefruit. I have eaten most of them, but since they keep well on the tree, I still have three hanging. The size is what intrigues me !! Could this be a new limb sport or is this normal for Satsuma Mandarin. I have 8 other mandarin trees and these fruit are BIG. Please advise.

Bill

Do you have any photos? What do the fruit taste like? Where did you purchase it? It could have been mislabeled....Satsumas are not known for keeping well on the tree.

They taste like mandarins, altho slightly bland. The fruit looks like a mandarin in color - but they are BIG.

Bill

Ponkan is one of the biggest, if not the biggest mandarin.

Satsumas can get very large and puffy. They tend to do that when the tree is young. Usually the very large fruit will have a rough peel, whereas the smaller fruit will have a tight smooth peel. The smaller fruit will have a much better flavor.

The fruit is very large and the skin puffy and very easy to peel - so I guess it is a satsuma mandarin. I don`t remember last year`s crop, or, the year before being this large. Thanks

Bill

Bill, check this thread:
link
Chahara Unshiu (Satsuma)
The crop of the 1st year was of a "normal" size.
2nd crop (this year) had much larger fruits, and of bland taste.

Ponkan is usually ripe here around Christmas, about a month or more after my satsumas.

My Ponkans have been ripe for a couple weeks. Satsumas probably were a week or 2 ahead. Both seem to still be getting sweeter.

Appreciate all of your input. I have never seen mandarins as large as these. My daughter has two mandarin trees. She visited recently and swiped some of my citrus. She sliced the mandarin, in grapefruit fashion, thinking it was a grapefruit !!