Poncirus trifoliata

The Hardy Orange, also called the Trifoliate Orange or Chinese Bitter Orange, is a plant closely related to Citrus, but unique in being fully winter deciduous. Unlike the grocery store oranges, Hardy Orange fruit is more yellow in color, and has a bitter flavor and a musky odor somewhat like pine. As a result the fruit is commonly used to make marmalade, syrup, or dried for use as a condiment. Fruit aside, the tree is an attractive ornamental, and its dense thorny branches make it a useful hedge plant along property lines. The leaves change to a beautiful yellow in the autumn and the fruit often holds on the tree into the winter, creating year-round interest.

It can be grown to a fully mature height of 10 feet in approximately 10 years and can handle seasonal frost and snow exposure well. Its ability to withstand cold and moisture make it a popular candidate for citrus rootstock where it can have a dwarfing effect.

Cold hardy to USDA zone 5 and above, or to -20 degrees Fahrenheit

This plant cannot be shipped to California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, or Texas.