Perennial Fruit Tree · zones 8–11 · 28 varieties

Mandarin

Name: Mandarin growing data
Creator: GardenTrack

Citrus reticulata

Rutaceae — the same plant family as orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime. Relatives share pests and diseases, which is why rotation plans group by family.

Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) is a perennial fruit tree for USDA zones 8–11. It wants full sun and pH 5.5–6.5 soil, with about 1–1.5 in of water weekly. First real harvest comes in 2–4 yr on a grafted nursery tree, or 7–10 yr from a seed. Watch for asian citrus psyllid and citrus greening. Below: its full sourced profile from 11 extension sources, plus a planting calendar timed to your frost dates.

Zones 8–11 — USDAest USDA

Sun Full sun

Water Moderate

First harvest 2–4 yr — graftedest grafted

Mature size 4–12 ft

Spacing 96–180 in

Soil pH 5.5–6.5

Frost Tender

When to plant mandarintypical · zone 6b

Your zone

…or your ZIP, for your real frost dates

Establishing

Flowering

Growing

Fruit set

Ripening

Harvest

Growing

Typical dates for zone 6b — set your zone or ZIP for yours. Timing is a guide from the crop's sourced growth stages; confirm with your local frost dates and extension before you sow.

Growing mandarinevery fact says where it came from

What we will not put a number on

We do not give a feeding rate for this crop, and that is deliberate rather than a gap. The figures published by extension services are pounds of nitrogen per acre for a production field — they do not convert safely to a raised bed or a pot without knowing your soil test and your fertilizer's analysis, and guessing errs toward burning roots. It is also why every chart you find online disagrees with the next one.

Site & soil

Hardiness zones: 8–11est
Sun: Full sun
Soil pH: 5.5–6.5
Soil texture: Loam, Clay, Well drained
Frost tolerance: Tender

The plant

Mature height: 4–12 ft
Mature spread: 4–8 ft
Growth rate: Slowest
Spacing in row: 96–180 in; How much room it needs is set by the rootstock, not the fruit. A semi-dwarf wants about 8 feet; a standard tree wants 15. Check what yours is grafted onto before you measure the bed.
Between rows: 240 in
Planting depth: At soil level
Container size: 15 gal; 15 gallons is the minimum for a young or dwarf tree. The same source pairs it with a half-barrel for a mature one, so treat this as the pot to start in rather than the pot to keep it in.
Support: Self-supporting
Grown from: Grafting, Budding, Transplant

Water & feeding

Water needs: Moderate
Water per week: 1–1.5 in/wkest
Critical water: Establishment, Fruit setest
Feeding: Moderate

Timing & fruiting

Years to first harvest: 2–4 yrest; That is the grafted nursery tree, which is what a nursery sells. Grown from a seed on its own roots it is 7–10 yr — a different tree, and a different wait.
Chill hours: 0–100 hrs
Pollination: Partially self fertile
Harvest cues: Fruit coloring
Winter damage below: 28 °F; A general citrus figure, not one published for mandarin. Mandarins are the hardiest common citrus: Texas A&M puts serious damage to an un-hardened satsuma at 24 °F, and this record's own survival band is 14–18 °F. Treat 28 °F as an early, cautious warning.
Survives winter down to: 14–18 °F

Edible parts per source: fruit.

What tends to go wrongmost-cited first

PestsAsian citrus psyllidAphidsWhitefliesCitrus leafminerMealybugsSpider mitesCitrus red miteCalifornia red scaleSnow scaleFlorida red scalePurple scaleFlorida wax scaleCottony cushion scale

DiseasesCitrus greeningCitrus scab

Compiled from the extensions cited below. Which ones actually show up depends on your region — your extension's local list is the last word.

All 28 varietiesthe ones with their own page are linked

Variety	Type	Days	Color	Size	What it is known for
Calamondin Heirloom	Mandarin Hybrid	—		Small	University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this astakes the cold · grown to look at · happy in a pot
California Honey		—	Yellow
Clementine Algerian Heirloom	Clementine	—		Medium
Clementine De Nules	Clementine	—			University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this asno seeds
Clementine Nour	Clementine	—		Medium
Dancy Tangerine Heirloom	Tangerine	—		Medium
Fremont	Mandarin Hybrid	—	Orange	Medium
Gold Nugget	Mandarin Hybrid	—		Medium	University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this asno seeds
Indio Mandarinquat	Mandarin Hybrid	—		Small	University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this asgrown to look at
Kinnow Heirloom	Mandarin Hybrid	—		Medium
Kishu	Mandarin	—		Small	University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this asno seeds
Lee x Nova	Mandarin Hybrid	—			University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this asno seeds
Miho Wase Satsuma	Satsuma	—			Four Winds Growers describes this astakes the cold · no seeds
Minneola Tangelo Heirloom	Tangelo	—
Murcott Mandarin (Honey Tangerine) Heirloom	Tangerine	—	Orange
Owari Satsuma Heirloom	Satsuma	—	Orange		University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this astakes the cold · no seeds
Page Heirloom	Tangelo	—	Orange	Medium
Pixie Heirloom	Mandarin Hybrid	—			University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this asno seeds
Ponkan Heirloom	Mandarin	—		Large
Royal Heirloom	Mandarin Hybrid	—	Orange
Shasta Gold	Mandarin Hybrid	—		Large	University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this asno seeds
Shiranui Mandarin (Dekopon / Sumo Citrus)	Mandarin Hybrid	—	Orange	Large
Sunburst Tangerine	Tangerine	—	Orange	Small
Tahoe Gold	Mandarin Hybrid	—		Medium	University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this asno seeds
Tango	Mandarin Hybrid	—
W. Murcott	Mandarin Hybrid	—			University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this asno seeds
Wekiwa Tangelo Heirloom	Tangelo	—	Pink
Yosemite Gold	Mandarin Hybrid	—		Large	University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this asno seeds

Sources11 cited · 10 organizations

Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center
LSU AgCenter
Mississippi State University Extension
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Aggie Horticulture)
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service (Fort Bend County)
UF/IFAS Extension
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
University of California Cooperative Extension (UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County)
University of Florida IFAS Extension (EDIS)
University of Florida IFAS Extension (Gardening Solutions)

We compile bare facts from these university-extension and horticultural sources, never copied prose. 19 of the 24 values on this page carry a citation. The rest are marked est; hover one and it says why — either nobody publishes a figure we could point at, or a person set it and attached no source. Figures vary with climate and seed source; confirm with your local extension before you buy.

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