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California Honey Mandarin Tree

Citrus x reticulata 'California Honey'

Regular price $14960
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Ships in 3-4 business days • Tracking provided • Weather protected

Under $50 $9.99
$50 - $99.99 $14.99
$100 - $149.99 $16.99
$150 - $198.99 $24.99
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Plant Profile & Growing Essentials

Evergreen, Flowering, Fragrant, Edible, Self-pollinating, Ornamental Berries/Fruit, Heat Tolerant, and Container Friendly

Specifications

  • Botanical Name
    Citrus x reticulata 'California Honey'
  • Height
    8-10 ft
  • Width
    4-6 ft
  • Growing Zones
    9-10 (Patio 4-10)
  • Sunlight
    • Full sun
  • Growth Rate
    Moderate
  • Flower Color
    • White
  • Leaf Color
    • Green
  • Fall Color
    Evergreen
  • Pollinator Friendly
    Yes
  • Pollinator Required
    No
  • Bloom Period
    Late Spring
  • Fragrant
    Yes

Planting & Care Instructions

Where to Plant

  • Sunlight: These trees crave energy to produce sugar, so provide at least 8 to 10 hours of full direct sun daily. While they can survive in partial shade, you will notice a significant drop in fruit sweetness and a much thinner harvest.
  • Soil: Aim for gritty, well-draining soil that feels like a wrung-out sponge rather than a muddy brick. If you deal with heavy clay, plant your Mandarin in a raised mound or a large container to prevent "wet feet," which can lead to root rot.

Watering Requirements

For the first year, water your California Honey Mandarin deeply twice a week to help the roots settle into their new home. Once the tree is established, it is moderately drought-tolerant, but inconsistent watering during fruit development can cause the mandarins to split or drop prematurely. Aim for deep, infrequent soakings that saturate the root zone rather than light daily sprinkles.

Pruning Tips

Since these trees bloom on new wood produced in the spring, the best time to prune is right after you harvest the last of the fruit in late winter. Think of pruning like thinning out a crowded room; remove crossing branches to let light and air reach the center of the canopy. This prevents fungal issues and ensures that the interior fruit ripens just as well as the fruit on the outside.

Fertilizer Needs

Feed your tree with a dedicated citrus fertilizer three times a year: once in late winter, once in late spring, and once in mid-summer. Avoid using high-nitrogen fertilizers after August, as this encourages a flush of tender new growth that can be easily killed by a sudden winter frost. Using a fertilizer with micronutrients like iron and zinc will keep the leaves a deep, healthy green.

There is a reason that they call this tree 'Honey'. Of all of the Mandarins, the California Honey Mandarin Tree (Citrus x reticulata 'California Honey') consistently ranks as the best tasting and smelling of all the Mandarin and Tangerine trees available!

You won't find the California Honey in your local grocery store. The fruits are on the small side and have more seeds than commercial industries like. Their loss is your gain, though! One taste of this and you'll be spoiled from any store-bought fruit again! This Citrus is very juicy and tastes like spiced honey.

The fragrant white flowers emerge in late spring and produce delicious fruit that ripens from November through April. The shrubby trees have dark willowy leaves and are beautiful on their own, with or without fruit!

Planting and Application:

These are perfect ornamental landscaping trees, retaining their evergreen foliage year-round, you'll also enjoy the scented blooms and dangling gems. We're certain a grouping or privacy hedgerow of these trees will turn heads! A single tree-form specimen will quickly become a drool-worthy addition to your edible landscaping. While shrub forms offer screening and definition.

If you live in a colder climate, simply plant them in a container. Bring your tree indoors near a sunny window, and let the intoxicating citrus scent brighten your home during cold winter days.

  • Prolific Producer
  • Honey Spiced Taste
  • Fragrant
  • Grow Indoors & Out
  • Specimen, Hedgerow or Container Tree

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Citrus Trees prefer full sun and fertile, very well-drained soil conditions. It requires a moderate amount of watering, preferring to dry out slightly between waterings. If you will be growing it in the ground, please ensure it has good drainage. If you see puddles long after a rain, you'll want to build a raised bed 12 to 18 inches high and 3 feet square.

In colder climates, this tree growing in a container must be moved indoors for winter. Give it the brightest light you can and maintain moderate humidity to produce fruit successfully. Keep it in a greenhouse or attached sunroom is best.

Citrus is an acid-loving plant and prefers acid soils with a pH of 6 to 6.5. Fertilize with Dr. Earth Acid Lovers Organic and Natural Premium Fertilizer. For best results, apply twice a year in the ground, once in the spring and once again in the late winter. A well-fed Citrus tree is better prepared to tolerate cold temperatures through the fall and winter months. For containers, apply fertilizer every 3 months.

A single tree will produce fruit, but we recommend planting at least two for the largest fruit set.

Protecting Container Citrus From Cold

If you're growing these tropical trees in the ground in the lowest of their favored growing zones, they need to be planted in a sheltered spot to avoid the worst of the chill. If a spot like that is unavailable then you are better off planting in a large, deep container.

This Citrus variety naturally grows successfully in marginal Citrus areas (USDA zones 8 to 4). But Citrus trees grown in these zones should be grown in containers and brought indoors before the wintertime.

In cooler growing zones, begin slowly acclimating your tree indoors in the early fall or moving them into a protected location, eventually moving your tree inside in bright indirect sun for the winter if the temperatures in your area ever dip below that 40°F range.

In spring, reverse this process and begin acclimating your tree to again be back out in the full sun all summer. This reduces stress and leaf drop.

Like all of our Citrus, these trees are a minimum of three years old, have extensive branching, and have some of the largest root systems available. We take pride in delivering you the highest quality citrus trees with healthy roots and full, well-established stems and foliage.

  • Maintain at any size best for your needs with some simple Pruning
  • Full sun, low moisture needs once established - let dry out some between waterings
  • Provide regular fertilizer
  • Slightly acidic soil that's enriched & well-drained
  • Learn about Caring for your Citrus Tree in our Garden Blog

For the sweetest most flavorful Mandarin on the market, you'll be glad you didn't wait and got yourself or that special someone this beautiful tree! Order a California Honey Mandarin Tree now at NatureHills.com before they sell out and enjoy the benefits of growing your own Citrus fruit anywhere in the U.S.!

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